Episode 7: The Kids Are Not Alright

I don't know about you, but even as we’ve started adjusting to a life post-pandemic, a lot still feels off. As parents, there is an extra layer of worry we have to contend with, both for our physical health as well as what’s happening inside the minds of our families. The big question that seems so hard to answer is: Are kids going to be ok after all of this?

The truth is, some might not be. We don’t yet know what the long-term mental health effects of the pandemic will be, but the short-term outcomes hit hard. According to CDC data, mental-health-related visits to the E.R. by people aged 12 to 27 were more than 30% higher in 2020 than in 2019. In the early days of the lockdown, hospitals saw a 24% increase in mental-health-related emergency visits for children aged five to 11, and a 31% increase for those aged 12 to 17. Add to this the rising pressures from social media, body image acceptance, and a news cycle teeming with doom and we can’t help but wonder how young people can come out of this unscathed. 

Joining us on the show today is Julie Cipes, a Licensed Clinical Therapist who works with kids aged 6-19 that are suffering from mental health in a way that’s impacting their day-to-day. Parents come to Julie when they see their children struggling with relationships, self-efficacy, and overall daily functioning, which is a bigger chunk of the kid population than any of us want to see right now. From anxiety to depression, social skills to self-esteem, Julie’s work with young people is more valuable to the world right now than it probably has ever been, and we all need to take some notes.