In an unparalleled way, COVID-19 has changed the lives of people around the world. Research has found that teenagers consistently report higher levels of loneliness, stress, anxiety, and depression. In general, teen mental health has been a challenge. When schools start reopening, some teens are excited, yet some others may have complicated emotions involving transition back to school.  

Common Teen Mental Health Issues During COVID  

Social Isolation

Social isolation and loneliness have increased the risk of depression. For some teenagers, particularly those with social anxiety disorders, staying at home and doing online schooling can temporarily alleviate their anxiety; however, this is not a long-term solution. Consequently, it can result in overwhelming anxiety when it is time to return to school.

Clearly for certain teenagers, COVID-19’s psychosocial effect can be linked with the onset or worsening of their existing mental health issues. “Identity formation” is another challenge that may emerge from social isolation. Adolescence is a critical time for the formation of identity and mainly associates with by social contact with peers. This process may, therefore, be at risk of completely achieving its purpose.

Video Game / Internet Addiction

Due to prolonged confinement at home, teens have been using platforms such as Zoom to take online classes. The increased screen time such as some video games could help teens to socialize and reduce loneliness during the pandemic; however, unlimited screen time could also easily predispose teens to compulsive use of the internet. What’s worse,  it could even lead to video game addition. Research has reported potential negative effects of playing video games, including lack of real-life friends, stress and maladaptive coping, decreased psychosocial well-being and isolation, psychosomatic issues, and decreased academic achievement. In some cases, the extent of addictive video game use is linked to personality characteristics such as low self-esteem and low self-efficacy, anxiety and aggression, in addition to psychiatric symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. .

Anxiety & Depression

Without a doubt, adolescents are especially vulnerable to stressful life events due to their developmental stage. Sudden changes in lifestyle, including lockdown, quarantine, or physical distancing coupled with the loss of loved ones, may take a toll on teens’ mental health. As a result, high level of stress could lead to lower levels of motivation, lower concentration, poorer achievement , psychological distress, anxiety, depression , and suicide. 

Stress

Stress has the potential to cause a long term physiological and psychological damage to a person. Among various types of stressors, social isolation is a stressor that directly impacts our overall well-being. Social isolation in childhood is a risk factor for depression in adult life. There is already evidence of the multiple and harmful psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on quarantined populations of children and adolescents (social isolation stressors). often time, this makes these people more vulnerable to long-term mental health conditions.

Warning Signs Parents Should Watch

• Mood changes, such as ongoing irritability, feelings of hopelessness or rage, and frequent conflicts with friends and family. Nevertheless, these are not usual for your teen and more likely mental health concerns.
• A loss of interest in previously enjoyed activities. For instance, did your art-loving child suddenly stop sketching? Did your aspiring musician lose all interest in playing violin?
• Difficulty to fall or stay asleep.
• Weight fluctuations or habits of feeding, such as never being hungry or eating all the time.
• Behavioral changes, such as stepping back from private relationships. For example, if your normally outgoing teen shows little interest in texting or video chatting with their friends, this may cause concern of emotional health.
• Memory problems, thinking, or concentration issues.
• Less interest and drop in academic effort in schoolwork .
• Appearance changes, such as a lack of basic personal hygiene (within reason, since many are doing slightly less grooming during this time at home).

How To Help To Cope With Teen Mental Health Issues?

1. Awareness:

Emotional awareness is a skill that needs to be harnessed from childhood. So,  that when they become adults it would be easy for them to handle their emotions well. Talk it out: Teach your teen to identify the emotion and put the same in words. Talking about stressful things with a trusted adult can help kids and teens to put things in perspective and find the right solutions. A new brain imaging study by psychologists revealed that verbalizing our feelings makes our pain, sadness, anger less intense and is a part of the healing process.

2. Stress Management:

Parents can teach and guide their teens to practice stress management skills. Teens can decrease stress with the following techniques:

Sleep and eat Well:  

For physical and emotional well-being, sleep and nutritious food are vital. Eight to 10 hours a night of sleep is necessary for teens. Limit screen use at night to protect the shut-eye, and avoid keeping digital devices in the bedroom. 

Exercise:  

Physical activity such as (walking, 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, dancing, stretching) are effective stress relievers for people of all ages. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends at least 60 minutes a day of activity for children ages 6 to 17. Exercise can also help brain to release dopamine and serotonin, the happy hormones to reduce depression.

Make time for fun activities: 

Just like adults, it is equally important for kids and teens to engage in what gives them joy. Whether it is a picnic in the local park, go for a hike, play tennis, or play a socially distanced game together, fun activities help teens to reconnect with peers and benefit from socialization. 

Go to Mother Nature: 

Spending time in nature is an effective way to improve mental and physical well-being. An effective way to relieve stress because researchers have found that people who live in areas with more green space have less depression, anxiety, and stress.

Journaling:  

Experts have found that expressing oneself in writing can help to reduce mental distress and improve overall well-being. Writing down positive feelings such as gratitude can ease symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression. Expressing unwanted emotions such as anger, sadness, and fear, is also a channel of acknowledging, venting, or letting go those emotions. 

3. Resilience Skills:

Resilience is about bouncing back to the tension-free state of mind. Apparently it is important to teach teenagers to handle and bounce back to their calm state. Some of the skills experts have found in resilient persons are;

• Positive attitude 
• Ability to identify and regulate emotions 
• Seeing failure as helpful feedback.  

RELAXATION EXERCISE:  

Learn relaxation exercises such as simple abdominal breathing and muscle relaxation techniques.

ASSERTIVENESS TRAINING: 

Being assertive will help your teen to respect and consider ones’ own needs as well as others. This is a crucial skill to handle conflict situations effectively. For example, state feelings in firm and polite manner, and not overly aggressive or passive ways: (“I feel upset when you yell at me.” “Please stop yelling.”)

SIMPLE COPING SKILLS: 

Breaking up a large task or a problem into achievable steps. you won’t feel overwhelmed by the situation.

BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE: 

It is sometimes hard to challenge our own negative thoughts or self-doubts, but it’s not impossible to attain. Over time, when we consciously make an effort to focus on positive /neutral thoughts, our brain adapts to the way we think. For instance: “I am not competent enough to write this exam” can be transformed into “I may feel incompetent now, but my life will probably get better if I work at it and get some help.

Written by Dr. June Cao