The pandemic saw an increase in anxiety in kids and teens—and even young children were affected
In late 2020, Natalie noticed that her daughter, Megan, had been losing weight. It wasn’t a surprise, as the-then 13-year-old hadn’t had her usual appetite in weeks.
Megan, whose last name has been withheld by her family’s request, was also spending more time in her room. When she wasn’t attending virtual school, she was reading or texting with her friends, who she wasn’t able to see in person due to COVID restrictions. While Natalie was concerned that her daughter was becoming isolated, she had her own worries including her job and Megan’s two younger siblings, who were also adjusting to pandemic life.
One evening, Megan confessed that “she hadn’t been feeling well, emotionally,” says Natalie. “She thought she might need help but didn’t know where to start. It broke my heart that I hadn’t done anything about it sooner, but we were all struggling.”
Megan was diagnosed as having anxiety—an emotion involving fear in the absence of danger.
Anxiety is not inherently problematic, says Dr. Carole Gentile, a clinical child psychologist at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). “All humans feel anxious at one point or another, and generally we cope with that feeling. An anxiety disorder occurs when those feelings cause distress and problems in functioning.”
Megan isn’t alone. Children can begin to show anxiety at a young age, says Gentile. “As demands for independence increase across the lifespan, some children struggle to feel safe when they engage in more independent activities (e.g., attending daycare or school, developing friendships on their own). These children can experience symptoms of anxiety, which can develop into an anxiety disorder.”
Gentile says that some data suggests that children and youth experienced a decrease in mental health during the pandemic (including more symptoms of anxiety); particularly during those periods that involved the greatest stress and social isolation. During this time, there was also an increase in the use of psychiatric medication with children; in the proportion of visits to the emergency department for mental health reasons and of calls to kids’ helplines, Gentile states.
Kids Help Phone has seen more cases of anxiety in children since the pandemic, says Gayle Browne, director of Clinical Operations – Texting at Kids Help Phone.
“The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the need for more mental health support across this country,” says Browne, “and anxiety is one of the top concerns of young people who reach out to Kids Help Phone.”
In 2019, Kids Help Phone supported 1.9 million interactions with young people. Since the pandemic began, the service—Canada’s only 24/7 multilingual, e-mental health organization available for young people ages five to 29—has supported over 14 million interactions. “This number grows every single day,” says Browne. “As we move through the pandemic, we’re now dealing with an even bigger mental health crisis from coast to coast to coast.”
Browne cites the following statistics: of young people who reach out to Kids Help Phone, 76 percent share feelings or an experience they’ve never shared with anyone else and 88 percent feel the conversation with Kids Help Phone was helpful.
In addition to its services by text, phone and web, Kids Help Phone also offers a peer-to-peer community where young people ages 12 to 26 can privately share their experiences with one another, as well as comfort or connect with each other, says Browne. The website has quizzes, mental health information and a searchable list of physical programs and services, organized by location.
Despite the availability of services, adults who are caring for young people also have a role to play: by starting a conversation about emotional health and well-being, says Browne. “They can make an effort to really listen and hear what the young person is telling them, without rushing into problem-solving.”
Gentile says parents can support their children by validating them; by providing guidance and encouragement; and by fostering age-appropriate independence, even when their children are unsure of themselves. It is often helpful as well for parents to focus on effort, rather than outcome. “Structure, predictability, routine as well as healthy living can also be very helpful,” she says.
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Signs and symptoms of anxiety in children
- Fearfulness
- Unsure of themselves
- Dependent and clingy
- Avoidant
- Unhappy (teary)
- Combative and uncooperative
- Panic or anxiety attacks
– Dr. Carole Gentile
How to reach Kids Help Phone
Kids Help Phone is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Text: 686868
Phone: 1-800-668-6868
Web: kidshelpphone.ca/
Online resources
Ottawa has a robust range of high-quality services, says Gentile. Created by the regional Kids Come First Health Team, 1Call1Click.ca is an easy way for families to connect with more than two dozen child and youth mental health care providers in the region. “It’s a one-stop-shop that is the best way to get matched with the care that is right for a child or youth,” says Gentile.
Other resources:
cheo.on.ca/en/resources-and-support/anxiety-and-stress-management.aspx
anxietycanada.com/
keltymentalhealth.ca/
ementalhealth.ca/