Anxiety among younger patients up by 61%; depression, 45%
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
Diagnosed mental and behavioral health issues among adolescents jumped 35% between 2016 and 2023, according to the National Survey of Children’s Health. Among diagnoses, anxiety increased by 61% and depression increased by 45%.
A lack of meaningful relationships represents one reason for the increase.
“The increased social isolation of spending a lot of time on our phones or social media and not in-person deprives people of the emotional boost of relating to other people,” said Richard O’Neill, Ph.D., a fellow of the Academy of Clinical Psychology, psychologist and host of “The Cycle of Health” TV show on WCNY and “The Check-Up from the Neck Up” on WCNY.org.”
He believes that it’s not just kids who are glued to their screens, but parents forfeiting time with their children because they’re more interested in their phones. That’s damaging to parent-child relationships. The lack of strength in that relationship weakens kids’ buffer against the stress of modern living.
“If we’re not there and they don’t have their friend cohort to connect with, they’re being deprived of one of the things that makes us feel good in our lives, which is positive contact with other people,” O’Neill said.
How kids also spend their time matters.
O’Neill also said that the increased sedentary lifestyle isn’t helping their mental health, since physical activity promotes mental health.
“For adults, regular physical activity is about equal to antidepressant medication as for elevating mood,” he said.
The effect is likely similar for young people.
Another pillar of good health is getting enough sleep. O’Neill blames excessive cellphone use as one reason many kids don’t get enough rest, which can lead to irritability, anxiety and depression.
Part of the reason is that more of the younger patients are receiving diagnoses. More healthcare providers, coaches, teachers and parents have awareness of mental health among youth. In part, the pandemic instigated more conversations about mental health among all ages. More adults are learning that children are “allowed” to have emotions but adults’ job is to help the youth in their care better learn how to regulate their emotions.
Early onset of puberty may play a factor, according to Monique Winnett, PsyD, clinical psychologist at St. Joseph’s Health.
“This can lead to increased self-consciousness and increased social pressures,” she said. “In addition, with brain growth and hormonal changes, children have a marked growth in parts of the brain related to emotions and social behaviors while the regions of the brain that control behavior regulation and decision making are not yet well developed.”
These surges in upsetting emotions can be hard to manage at this stage of development.
An increased number of young people experience stressors “related to family finances and relationships, social environment and community stressors that can all have an impact on mental health.”
So, what can adults do to help support youth’s mental health? “It is important for parents to have open and active communication with their children and to model emotional expression and healthy coping,” Winnett said. “Parents should encourage children to get outside, play, engage with others in person, and limit social media. Enhanced focus on good sleep hygiene and healthy diet and exercise can also have meaningful effects in terms of keeping symptoms of depression at bay.”