It will take several years for us to understand how COVID-19 has impacted the mental health and substance use behaviors of youth in Cortland County and beyond. What we can do is provide parents and community members with a quick snapshot of how it is impacting teens here in Cortland County.
Each year, when we survey 7th-12th graders in Cortland County, we are able to add a few additional questions to the validated survey tool, and this year we asked teens how COVID has impacted them. They were able to select any answer that applied to them. Survey responses were collected in October and November 2020, several months after the initial COVID shutdowns.
The Survey Results:
More than half of students reported they’ve had to cancel events important to them (53.3%) and that they’ve felt more stressed about school than usual (52.6%).
Additional responses showed concerning results with 40.4% of students reporting feeling more anxious than usual due to the pandemic and 31.5% reporting feeling more depressed than usual due to the pandemic.
This data is a good reminder to us adults that teens are feeling the impacts of the pandemic, and will probably for months to come.
Parents can provide support for their child by:
- Telling them it’s ok to be upset or stressed
- Encouraging positive activities
- Setting routines and modelling self-care
For activity ideas head to our positive parenting page:
https://www.upstreamparent.org/?cat=39
For information on routines and self-care check out this blog post:
https://www.hellocortland.fun/blog/self-care-in-covid-times
For mental health resources:
If you or your child needs additional support, please reach out the Family & Children’s Counseling Services or Cortland County Mental Health to set up an appointment with a mental health professional. Add these numbers to your contacts (even if you think you don’t need them):
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255
Text GOT5 to: 741741
References:
- Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks. Retrieved from: https://store.samhsa.gov/product/Talking-With-Children-Tips-for-Caregivers-Parents-and-Teachers-During-Infectious-Disease-Outbreaks/PEP20-01-01-006
