FORT LAUDERDALE – COVID is not over, but the pandemic exposed a worrying trend: children’s mental health has taken a hit.
According to the Mental Health Alliance, in 2022, fifteen percent of children ages 12 to 17 reported experiencing at least one major depressive episode. That was 306,000 more than last year.
“It’s bad. It’s a crisis,” said Katherine Lewis, a licensed family therapist at The Bougainvilla House, a nonprofit treatment center in Ft Lauderdale that describes itself as a safe place for children and youth to grow emotionally. .
To understand why children’s mental health is in such a fragile state, CBS4 had exceptional access to the center.
With permission from their families, we spoke with teens who have opened up about the struggles of growing up in the digital age with the compounding challenges of the pandemic.
“I grew up with technology,” said 13-year-old Heidi Sánchez.
But therapists say all that technology could be having a negative effect on her.
According to The Bougainvilla House management, the challenges children face are amplified on social media, where they are “put under a microscope and made visible for the world to see.”
Sanchez has social anxiety, is dealing with past family conflicts, and has experienced depression. She said that she felt isolated during the school closure and dealt with the many ups and downs of working online.
“I was in a Google class. I only had two courses and I was doing the work. Then I realized I didn’t scroll down the whole quarter and I was failing at four other things,” Sanchez said.
This caused more stress and anxiety.
Casa Bougainvilla said in 2020, just before the pandemic hit, they were treating 70 children a week. Now, on average, they serve 185 children a week, more than twice as many as before.
They believe the increase may be directly related to social media and technology.
“I’m glad more kids are coming, but these things were there before,” Lewis said.
She believes that social media and excessive screen time can lead to anxiety and depression.
“It’s certainly a double-edged sword. It’s part of their culture, so they have the support of their friends online, but it’s also a bigger source of pain. You see what’s out there. People are more successful than you.” They have better grades … so there are higher expectations,” Lewis said.
Sanchez said she noticed big changes in her classmates when in-person learning resumed at school.
“I think the biggest impact was the amount of social skills we have. Because I noticed in class some kids were yelling at the teacher instead of raising their hands,” she said.
Sánchez said that when he is not in school, he is in front of a screen at least four hours a day.
“I am affected by the way people perceive me. Once someone called me stupid and I took it seriously,” she said.
Along with Sánchez, we asked two others in therapy about their social media habits and stressors.
Grace is 12 years old and Jasmine is 18 and graduated from high school.
This year, Jasmine said she spends more than six hours a day on social media.
“I think being in a group is better than during COVID when you were locked in a house,” he said.
Jasmine, Grace and Sanchez said that being out of school during the pandemic bothered them the most. They said they miss the structure of being in school, a reason to keep going every day.
But everyone agreed that communicating online is more comfortable than in person.
“There’s less risk, so if you read something you don’t have to provide an answer right away,” Jasmine said.
So what can parents and teachers do to combat this mental health crisis?
For starters, Lewis said parents can provide an open space
“I think kids know there’s a space where they can talk about issues. They may not use it, but it’s healthy and healing in and of itself,” she said, “Knowing there’s a space for that
Sanchez said, “I used to lock myself in my room and not talk to my mom much.”
But he said over time he’s learned that listening is a recipe for better mental health.
“The best thing parents can do is listen, that’s what most kids want. Sometimes listening is better than comforting,” he said.
Those who would like more information about the programs offered at The Bougainvilla House can call (954) 765-6283 or visit tbhcares.org.
