COLORADO SPRINGS — It’s the last weekend of summer for students in District 49 and as we continue our series in helping families take on a new school year, it’s important that we address the stress and anxiety that can come along with going back to school.
The number of students reporting mental health issues is increasing. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 42 percent of kids felt persistently sad or hopeless during the academic year.
Depression is becoming more common among teenagers. Based on recent data, Children's Hospital Colorado has seen a 23% increase in patients visiting their emergency rooms for mental health concerns. Nationwide, seven in 10 teens say anxiety and depression are major issues for their age group.
Social pressure is a main culprit during the academic year according to Johns Hopkins.
As we all know social media plays a big role in this. We need to disconnect more often, that is what mental health experts are telling me. The use of social media is cutting down on person-to-person socialization and creating an unrealistic perspective of what’s around us.
A report by the Pew Research Center found that 45 percent of girls say they feel overwhelmed because of all the drama on social media. I spoke with a local counselor about what he believes parents should do to help as kids head back to school with their phones in hand and social pressure at their fingertips.
“It’s important to be in a conversation with the young people in your life. I think first and foremost, listening. I think more than anything, young people want to be heard so taking the opportunity to listen first and really hear them,” said Jamie Montoya-Desmidt, mental health services coordinator and counselor at District 2.
“I think it’s important, sometimes young people say things, and as the adults in our lives, we might be a little shocked and concerned and sometimes we have to take a moment and take a breath and get curious and ask them some questions about what’s going on and how do they feel about that. You know, if it’s something that someone posted online, they may find that it is upsetting Having some real conversations and also some expectations around technology and some rules in the house around technology and technology base.”
Jamie also encourages parents to cut down on their own distractions. Make time for important conversations and quality time together. He also says parents should take care of their mental health. It will show your kids the importance of self-care.
Most of the school districts across Southern Colorado have counselors for students to meet with if they’re feeling overwhelmed this upcoming school year. Children’s Hospital Colorado offers mental health resources for families, including a free mental health toolkit.
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