Mental Health Outcomes of the Pandemic on Youth
Steering Committee
October 05, 2022
As we settle into school routines and begin to see how our clients/students are faring three years into the COVID-19 pandemic I thought it wise to look at what some of the initial research on youth says about how they did during the pandemic and what this says about how we need to proceed with services.
Thus far the research produced during the pandemic focused on 1:
- The mental health consequences of the pandemic
- This research showed an increase in
One large conclusion from most of the research is that youth who came from vulnerable spaces before the pandemic became even more vulnerable over its course. Thus, those children and families who had high needs before the pandemic have even higher needs now. As we move forward, with service professionals and resources stretched thin, it behooves us to look at how we can leverage our current relationships and partnerships to ensure we are meeting the needs of all our clients/students, but especially our most vulnerable populations.
One way we can do that is to talk about the importance of taking care of our mental health openly and honestly, with no judgment. Arming yourself with the information and tools needed to ensure we are meeting youth where they are is important. A survey conducted by the Boys and Girls Club of America showed that youth have strong social-emotional awareness, but most do not feel equipped to cope with their challenges. In fact, most of the youth in this survey stated that when something went wrong in their lives, they couldn’t stop worrying about it but did everything they could to stop people from finding out.2 In another student survey, conducted by Youth Truth, many students described feeling ill prepared in their return to in-person learning and felt that the pace of the school day and homework expectations were overwhelming. They felt that their school culture had changed and their sense of belonging to a community had diminished.3 In both these surveys we are hearing directly from students what they need – caring adults who will listen and provide a safe space for them to talk about the emotional, mental, and social support they need. So how can we do this?
We can create an environment where clients/students feel safe and welcome. We can create places and spaces for students to receive the help they need. We can rely on each other and seek assistance when needed. We can create policies and procedures that will establish systems where the priority is ensuring that clients/students have the necessary supports to be successful. We can research programs and services that are having success and implement them in our own schools and districts.
One such possibility is the utilization of yoga and mindfulness programs (YMP) to help clients/students with social-emotional awareness and challenges. A review of the emerging evidence base regarding utilizing YMP with children, shows improvement in social-emotional outcomes for children of all ages. “Yoga and mindfulness provided through school-based programming may provide an important opportunity to address social-emotional needs of children and to provide coping skills for those who do not receive attention to their behavioral or mental health though other channels.4” YMP show marked improvement with anxiety and depression specifically. Making such programs a part of a school-wide effort would help all students and not single out specific kids for intervention. There are existing curriculums out there to use, i.e., Yoga Ed.
In recognition of Latinx Heritage Month, I thought I would share with you some relatively good news I recently read about the resiliency and resourcefulness of Latinx children and their families. In “Latinx Families’ Strengths and Resilience Contribute to their Well-being,5” a brief from the National Research Center on Hispanic Children & Families we learned some things that might be helpful as you work with Latinx families in your community. While we know that Latinx families and their children are more likely to face institutional and socio-structural inequities and social and economic stressors - think, discrimination, poverty, racism, residential segregation, and xenophobia – and that this jeopardizes their well-being.
We also know that children who experience these challenging circumstances early in life are at greater risk for things such as:
- Behavior problems that can marginalize them
- Impeded social mobility
- Poor academic performance
- Socioeconomic disadvantages
The challenges Latinx families face have been studied and documented in much of the literature, what has not been studied or documented as much are the assets that many Latinx families have that contribute to their well-being. The brief highlight those assets and they include:
- Strong social skills exhibited by children
- Strong social skills exhibited by children
- Latinx children enter formal schooling with the ability to develop friendships and be liked and accepted by peers and teachers
- Social skills are important for developing resilience
- Bilingualism
- Promotes social and cognitive development
- Biculturalism
- Promotes better parenting behaviors which are related to better outcomes for children
- High quality parenting
- Characterized by high levels of warmth and supportiveness
- Latinx fathers are highly committed to their children and involved in their lives
- Starts early in childhood and is long-term
- This contributes to cognitive, language, and social development
- Latinx parents are highly invested in their children’s futures – especially in early childhood
- Latinx children experience routines and predictability which supports healthy social emotional development
- Majority of Latinx children with foreign-born parents live in two-parent households
- Latinx children receive support from extended family and intergenerational households
- High co-parenting – typically more responsive and supportive parenting
It is essential for us to acknowledge these strengths and help build on these assets through culturally sensitive programs and services to ensure Latinx families have better outcomes. As always, we here at the CAHELP stand ready to assist and support you in serving the needs of the youth and families in our communities
References:
- Editorial Perspective: COVID-19 Related Publications on Young People’s Mental Health
- Youth Right Now Survey
- Students Weigh in Mental Health
- Effect of Yoga and Mindfulness Intervention on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Young Adolescents Attending Middle School
Resources:
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