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Lockdown Restrictions Have Accelerated America’s Youth Mental Health Crisis, Says Surgeon General

by Luke Perry
8 December 2021 9:30 AM

The U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has said that an already existing youth mental health crisis has been amplified over the course of the pandemic. Targeting lockdown restrictions directly, Murphy referred to the “devastating” impact which school closures and a lack of socialisation have had on the mental well-being of America’s children and young adults. The Mail has more.

While youth mental health had been a growing concern before the pandemic with increased rates of depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, Covid has exacerbated this trend into a crisis, Murthy said.

For example, during the pandemic, the number of children and teenagers reporting symptoms of depression and anxiety doubled, according to one study of 80,000 youth around the world.

Children from minority communities and those at socioeconomic disadvantages, as well as those who lost a parent or caregiver to Covid, are at higher risk for Covid-related mental health conditions, the Surgeon General’s report found.

The Surgeon General’s advisory provides recommendations for improving mental health through increasing mental health care access, addressing economic and social barriers that contribute to poor mental health, and more.

In the decade prior to Covid, youth mental health has become a growing concern for doctors and public health experts, and the pandemic exacerbated this concern.

A new report from the U.S. Surgeon General’s office (released Tuesday) provides statistics on youth mental health, as well as recommendations for how to address this challenge.

“Mental health challenges in children, adolescents, and young adults are real and widespread,” said Surgeon General Vivek Murthy in a statement about the report.

“Even before the pandemic, an alarming number of young people struggled with feelings of helplessness, depression, and thoughts of suicide, and rates have increased over the past decade.”

For young people, mental health conditions may be caused by both biological factors and environmental factors.

These environmental factors can include relationships with family members, relationships with peers, neighbourhood safety, and social and economic inequalities, according to the Surgeon General’s report.

Prior to Covid, up to one in five children between the ages of three and 17 years-old had a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioural disorder.

This number has increased sharply over the last 10 years, according to the report.

From 2009 to 2019, the share of high school students who reported feeling sad or hopeless increased by 40%, to more than one in three students.

The share of high school students seriously considering a suicide attempt increased by 36 percent, while the share creating a suicide plan increased by 44%.

The Covid pandemic has added further hardship and stressful experiences for America’s young people.

“The Covid pandemic further altered their experiences at home, school, and in the community, and the effect on their mental health has been devastating,” Murthy said.

Covid caused schools to close across the country, disrupting opportunities for learning and socializing with peers.

In addition, many children who relied upon school for access to healthcare and social services had those services disrupted.

Numerous children also faced housing and food insecurity as their parents and caregivers went through job loss due to the pandemic.

Worth reading in full.

Tags: AmericaMental HealthMental Health CrisisYoung People

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10 Comments
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Julian
Julian
3 years ago

I’m not a child but for me the toll on mental health was/is not from any lockdown restrictions (though I didn’t enjoy them and appreciate that for many they were/are devastating) but from living under the shadow of the Big Lie, and everything else that goes with it. Basically knowing the government can and will screw us over on a whim, and not knowing when and how exactly that will next manifest itself. It is truly psychological warfare, and being able to go to the pub or whatever doesn’t help that much.

5
0
tom171uk
tom171uk
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

I agree with that. If I believed that measures significantly helped to avoid death and suffering I would make an effort to comply voluntarily without needing to be compelled by law. I don’t think I am unusual in that.

The implementation of mandatory restrictions backed by punishment for non-compliance, all without the consent of the people and without proper parliamentary scrutiny, is something I never thought I would see. Furthermore it is abundantly clear, especially in the case of face masks, that we have been lied to. And we will be lied to again.

They have removed our control over our own lives and that is a recipe for depression and anxiety. Knowing they can and will do more of it in future is even more damaging to mental health.

5
0
David.in.Italy
David.in.Italy
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

Similarly here, was luckily not that worried during the last year, and due to my work in cybersec I already saw the infowar starting a few years ago…

now I’m worried if UK/USA might be heading RSA?
https://unherd.com/2021/12/south-africas-looming-vaccine-revolt/
former Editor of the South African Sunday Times tells of imminent disaster/collapse

Privileged are vaxxed & corrupt, whistleblowers assassinated, unvaxed have the National army agin’em, would never happen under Boris/Hancock/Javid etc?

4
0
rayc
rayc
3 years ago
Reply to  Julian

The depression comes from realization that your freedom has always been an illusion. Also, that humanity has not changed a single bit since its darkest times.

2
0
Rogerborg
Rogerborg
3 years ago

From recent personal experience, I can report that mental health services are currently massively over-burdened, and that you’re looking at months to years to get even an initial assessment appointment.

Patients are being pointed towards private practice as the only way to get any sort of diagnosis.

In terms of treatment, all GPs can do is prescribe pharmaceuticals to try and ameliorate the harm inflicted by pharmaceutical companies.

This is not being helped by a generation of youth being inculcated with the belief that their very existence is a sin against Gaia, or that they’ve been born into the wrong bodies.

5
0
Cristi.Neagu
Cristi.Neagu
3 years ago

And you ain’t seen nothing yet. Just you wait until the 2-4 year olds of today grow up and all the social dysfunction caused by lack of socializing comes to the fore. Violence, infantilism, anti-social behaviour… the 2040s are gonna be wild.

8
0
loopDloop
loopDloop
3 years ago

Surely trashing the mental health of an entire generation is worth it to eradicate a virus with a survival rate of just 99.8%.

9
0
Moist Von Lipwig
Moist Von Lipwig
3 years ago

Lockdown was an assault on the mind, a constant bombardment of absurdities, of course it has damaged mental health.

2
0
LonePatriot
LonePatriot
3 years ago

⁣Hospitals in USA and in first world countries are refusing life-saving Ivermectin treatment even with court orders. Big Pharma doing everything they can to jab us no matter what, while alternative COVID cures EXIST! There happens to be heavy censorship who are looking for these treatments. The Research Is Clear: Ivermectin Is a Safe, Effective Treatment for COVID. Get your Ivermectin today while you still can! https://ivmpharmacy.com

0
-1
Santiago
Santiago
3 years ago

306,272 people, so far, have signed a new petition on Change.org to “Close schools/colleges/universities for an appropriate amount of time amidst COVID19”.
I didn’t realise there were that many teachers in the UK.
How thoroughly depressing.

0
0

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