Children and young adults are experiencing increased mental health issues, and suicide also is on the rise within the age group at least in part because of ongoing state shutdowns, according to several reports.
Within months of governors and local authorities shuttering schools, children were increasingly brought to emergency room doctors and specialists, according to a by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“Beginning in April 2020, the proportion of children’s mental health–related ED visits among all pediatric ED visits increased and remained elevated through October,” the report states. “Compared with 2019, the proportion of mental health–related visits for children aged 5–11 and 12–17 years increased approximately 24%. and 31%, respectively.”
According to an August 2020 CDC survey, state shutdowns negatively impacted the mental and emotional health of the youngest people who participated. Those under age 18 experienced the highest rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues, with 75 percent saying they were struggling with at least one mental health issue.
Read more at Washington Examiner.
{Matzav.com}
