TITLE

There’s a Mental-Health Crisis Among American Children. Why?

DESCRIPTION

This is an important article to understand psychological disorders among children and adolescents both during and before the pandemic.  “Indeed, the C.D.C. last month reported a pronounced increase in similar tics (active link to article) based on evidence from a source never before used to assess specific mental-health conditions among the nation’s children: emergency-room data. For girls ages 12 to 17, the proportion of visits to the E.R. for tics nearly tripled during the pandemic as of January 2022. Visits also doubled for eating disorders, and there were increases related to anxiety, trauma and stress and obsessive-compulsive disorders.”  This NY Times article provides details of the increase in mental health visits to emergency rooms, clinics, and practitioners that point to the stressors, depression, anxiety, and many other symptoms experienced by children.    Details of the probable causes and ways to handle such issues are provided in the article.  It is a must reading for students interested in mental health issues and for parents as well.

SOURCE

New York Times, March 23, 2022, by Kim Tingley

LINK TO RESOURCE

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/23/magazine/mental-health-crisis-kids.html?smid=em-share

(Tiny URL)  https://tinyurl.com/22m6znsp

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

•According to the article, what types of mental health symptoms have become prevalent through the pandemic?

•True or False:  there were no indications of mental health issues pre-pandemic (covid-19)?  Please justify your answer.

•What advice is suggested to parents to help and perhaps prevent mental health issue in children?