Now that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and the New Mexico Public Education Department have opened all of New Mexico’s public schools, we are likely about to discover how the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting quarantines have impacted the mental health of the youth in our state.
We are in new territory that requires a different set of working assumptions, understanding, discovery and tolerance.
The abrupt shift at the start of the pandemic to a highly isolated state of being, coupled with familial disruptions regarding income and finances, illness and death, insecurity and fear of the unknown, and multiple social justice and political disruptions, have not left any group within the country unscathed. The trauma manifested for all age groups. Not that New Mexico’s children are going back to school (in person and full time), and routines are again turned upside down, we can expect significant mental health fallout.
According to the National Association of School Psychologists:
“All students and staff have likely experienced some level of trauma as a result of the pervasive and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the civil unrest due to systemic racism and oppression.
“The degree/intensity of trauma varies by student and staff member based on their individual experiences during this time, their protective factors, and their risk factors.
“Emotional reactions such as grief, fear, anxiety, depression, anger, and others are normal and should be expected.
“All students and staff have experienced diminished time spent following routines and schedules.
“All students and staff are likely to have some degree of diminished stamina for completing work because of reduced demands during closure.
“Students had inequitable access to virtual learning and adults to support both learning in the home environment and challenging emotions surrounding the stressors of a pandemic and its effects on individuals and family systems.
“Not all homes were safe.”
Source: National Association of School Psychologists
In this lockdown aftermath, pent up emotions need to find a release. As trauma treatment professionals, we’ve already seen an increase in behavioral health issues related to the pandemic and schools reopening. That’s why we have expanded our IOP programs, and doubled our efforts around yoga therapy and mindfulness, which has shown great success with students (and teachers, school administrators and parents) under stress.
School Stress Symptoms
Children in distress returning to school could display:
Acting out in school
Anxiety or nervousness
Avoidance of activities they enjoy
Changes in eating or sleeping patterns
Constantly asking questions such as: What if? Is someone going to die? Are you coming back?
Excessive worry, anxiety, or sadness
Fear of being alone
Fear of making minor mistakes
Frequent urination
Headaches, body pains, skin rashes
Impulsive or risky behavior
Returning to behaviors they have outgrown
Saying "I can't do it" without a reason
Strong startle response
Suddenly avoiding all social interaction
Suddenly wetting the bed
Trouble falling asleep
Withdrawal or isolation
Grief, Anxiety, and Depression
The pandemic and subsequent reopening of the state’s schools has provoked waves of grief, anxiety, and depression for many kids.
Grief
According to a survey, one in three Los Angeles Unified students knows someone who has died of or been seriously ill with COVID. We don’t have numbers for the Albuquerque area, but it would be surprising if New Mexico’s students hadn’t suffered similar trauma.
Grief can also show up with the loss of the old ways and adjusting to the new normal. While “normalcy” is returning to education, it is different with kids having to wear masks, keep three feet apart, and spend a portion of their time behind plexiglass dividers. Just talk to a high school freshman, or senior.
The grief can also manifest due to lost time or experiences, like graduations, proms, ceremonies, birthdays, or missing family members.
Depression
Since COVID-19 hit, teachers and mental health professionals have witnessed an epidemic of anxiety and depression in the form of missed online classes, failure to complete assignments, and struggles to focus.
British researchers recently calculated that even after lockdown ends, children and adolescents are more likely to experience high rates of depression and anxiety for up to nine years.
Anxiety
During the lockdown, while students were largely learning at home, kids suffered fewer incidents of teen sucide, school shootings and exam panic. But now all three stressors and more are coming back in full force to a student population that is heading back to the classroom while still reeling from having their lives upended for over a year.
Their school days will include all of the usual stressors. Roughly 40 states will continue to require practicing active shooter drills. Stressful enough during “normal” times, there is a palpable sense among some students that they are “due for more shootings.” In 2020 there were only 10 school shootings, down from 25 in 2019 and 24 in 2018. 2021 has already seen record gun sales nationwide, and several mass firearm tragedies.
Adults Are Suffering Too and the Kids Know It
There is no corner of life untouched by the lockdown. Even if you are lucky enough to be relatively unscathed by the pandemic, you’re still probably feeling stressed. According to the CDC,
“...almost half — 46.6% — of all parents reported increased levels of stress, 16.5% said they were using more drugs or alcohol and 17.7% said they had trouble sleeping, among other deleterious effects from the pandemic.
“More than half, 54%, of parents with kids stuck in virtual school said they suffered from increased emotional distress, 16.4% said they were increasingly using drugs or alcohol and 21.6% said they had trouble sleeping at night.”
Your kids are highly attuned to you. They feel your stress, and it’s bleeding on to them.
The Good News
During lockdown we have become acutely aware of how public schools and teachers do far more than just educate, and how much our kids depend on them. Many children get their primary nutrition in a school setting. Schools also provide childcare services that allow more parents to work, relieving the family of some economic stress.
In addition, schools are an important social service and mental health support system. Teens who have been having a tough time coping can be seen by trained professionals who can refer them to strong counseling services such as our IOP program.
Now that people are coming out of their COVID-19 hidey holes, we will surely witness - and can finally address - kids’ problems in the light of day.
Schools are overwhelmed with such a large influx of kids needing attention. That’s why so many New Mexico school psychologists refer students to the Trauma Treatment Center. School referrals are the most effective way to get the kids the help they need.
Because of this increased demand we’ve expanded our programs to help relieve stress and assist kids with focusing on school, sports and social pursuits.
Our very successful teen counseling program serves Albuquerque and Rio Rancho adolescents ages 13-17 and their primary caregivers.
Our IOP is a 12-week program focusing on trauma with topics including:
Substance use/abuse
Trauma processing
Parenting (for the caregivers)
DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) skills (mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation)
Body-based trauma processing
Peer support
We’re very proud of our IOP program because it’s a great fit for adolescents who are:
In need of more than once a week therapy
Are stepping down from an inpatient program
Have been engaged with juvenile justice but are not making progress
Referred by a mental health provider
If the return to in-person schooling has revealed that a child or adolescent in your care needs help, please contact us immediately. We can help.