Editor’s note: The stress of COVID-19 and its far-reaching impacts have led to a sharp rise in children and teens experiencing mental health issues such as anxiety and depression. In this, the first of two stories, the Great Bend Tribune will examine how to identify the warning signs of depression and anxiety. The second story will look at how parents, friends, and the students themselves can help those dealing with these issues. The Tribune spoke with three professionals, including two counselors from Great Bend USD 428, to obtain their perspective on the issue.

As students and their families grapple with the strains from the physical, financial and logistical trauma presented by the nearly year-long battle with the novel coronavirus, the mental health impacts on students have been staggering.

Chris Gahagan with the Center for Counseling and Consultation in Great Bend noted the Center has seen a 68% increase in its crisis response and triage intakes from March 2020 onward compared to the same period in 2019.

What’s driving the increase

Even under normal circumstances, students face a variety of factors likely to cause anxiety, such as social media, friends, relationships and academic performance, noted Great Bend High School Counselor Rachel Thexton. The added worries and fears caused by the virus have only served to compound that.

Gahagan noted the shutdowns and the consequences that followed upended the daily routines of students and their families, a factor he noted is key to mental health, especially in young people.

“Children thrive on predictability and routines. With the uncertainty in the world right now, it has been difficult for parents and teachers to establish these routines,” he said.

Thexton said the upending of routines brought on by COVID-19 is just of the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the virus’s impact on the mental health of young people. Added fears of illness and quarantine, as well as more uncertainty from day to day, have compounded depression and anxiety.

“The shutdown was very difficult for the kids, not only educationally, but emotionally, as well,” she said. “The fear of the unknown weighs heavily on them.”

Counselors pointed particularly to the social isolation brought on by the shutdowns and resulting quarantines as a key factor leading to the rise in anxiety and depression among young people. Though young people tend to be technologically savvy, Gahagan noted, engaging young people remotely when they are so used to in-person engagement can be especially challenging.

“There appears to be more isolation due to the difficulty getting out and seeing friends,” Gahagan said. “Case managers have reported seeing a lack of connection with others and impaired socialization, as well.”

Great Bend USD 428 Family Support Worker Alana Blessing said the social and relational impact of not attending school in person is one of the most common concerns she has heard from students.

“‘Am I going to be able to see my friends tomorrow? Are we going to go online?’” Blessing said. “(The socialization of school) is a little bit of normal for them.” 

Though students, Thexton said, are extremely concerned about getting the virus and the isolation that comes with potential quarantines, those fears are only a small part of the equation when it comes to their mental health.

“All of the parents’ struggles that come with the virus trickle down to the kids,” Thexton said. “They’re concerned for their parents and their loved ones.”

Of particular concern, she said, is when parents lose income and jobs due to quarantines and business shutdowns. The resulting financial difficulties, and their parents’ stress in connection with those, has had a profound impact on the students.

But it is more than just financial. Blessing and Thexton noted students have been heavily impacted by watching their loved ones become ill, and in some cases, seeing loved ones pass away suddenly.

What it looks like in kids

All of this adds up to a troublesome combination for even the strongest students, but knowing when a student is struggling with depression or anxiety can be difficult.

Some of the most common symptoms, according to Gahagan, are signs of persistent sadness, isolation from peers and relatives, decreased communication, stomachaches or other physical symptoms such as fatigue or chest pains without a known medical cause, loss of interest in activities, abrupt changes in moods, sleep patterns, eating habits and academic performance, and talk of self-harm, among others.

Because depression and anxiety can manifest differently in each person, Thexton said is crucial to recognize significant changes in behavior patterns in someone who could be dealing with depression or anxiety.

“Some kids have lots of (symptoms), and some only have one or two,” Thexton said.

The counselors agree, though, that increased isolation and withdrawal are often common warning signs.

“I have kids that tell me they come home from school and pretty much don’t leave their room, other than to eat, until the next morning,” Thexton said.

Gahagan also noted young people will often withhold their struggles for fear of punishment or fear they will cause undue stress for family members.

With other students, however, Thexton said, it can manifest in increased activity rather than decreased activity. Sometimes students will suddenly seek to become involved in more and more activities, often to the point of exhaustion, as a means of coping with the increased stress and anxiety.

The key, however, is to be able to recognize significant changes in the child’s physical health, moods and behavior. Most often, that begins at home