Treatment for Mental Health Among Youth Has Spiked. What Can Be Done?

Youth mental health treatment has surged since the COVID-19 pandemic, including increases in diagnoses, therapy, and psychiatric medication use. School disruptions and social isolation affected emotional development, making it harder for many children and teens to readjust. Mental health challenges often stem from multiple factors, including family stress, trauma, genetics, and socioeconomic hardship.

Against that background, therapy is usually the first treatment option, while medication may be recommended when symptoms are severe or persistent. In any case, seeking professional help can make a significant difference in a child’s recovery and well-being.

After the Pandemic

First-time prescriptions for psychiatric medications among children and teens have increased by 35 percent compared to prepandemic levels. 

That was just one of the findings of a recent study published by the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, which looked at mental health treatment of children and teens before, during, and after the pandemic. The study found that antidepressant treatment for female adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 increased by nearly two thirds, and nearly one third for male adolescents. Even younger children were being prescribed antidepressants at an increased rate. 

Antidepressant prescriptions were just one treatment option looked at by researchers who reviewed redacted health data of more than 13 million American kids. They also saw spikes in psychiatric diagnoses, use of other psychotropic medications, and engagement in therapy. Many of the patients were new, having never sought treatment for mental health concerns prior to the pandemic. 

“Getting Out of Practice Is a Problem”

Jamie Snyder, a psychiatrist at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, sees the reality in her daily practice and says she is not surprised that the pandemic had such an adverse impact on kids’ mental health. She attributed much of this to children and teens not being able to go to school, where they typically hone their social-emotional skills. 

“Getting out of practice is a problem,” Snyder said. “We had a lot of kids that had trouble going back to school, dealing with the drama and so forth that goes on at school.” 

Many kids lacked structure when it came to schoolwork and spent a lot more time using screens. Both of which, according to several studies, can have major impacts on their well-being. 

“Kids who did not like schoolwork were just happy to sit in front of a screen and do something else all day. And so they got behind, or they got depressed or other things,” Snyder said. 

In many cases the pandemic exacerbated problems that were already there. According to Snyder, children and teens with rough home lives or socioeconomic hardship were at greater risk of mental health struggles. Genetics, trauma, and other external factors can also play a role in triggering or worsening mental illnesses.

Options for Treatment

The mental health problem among America’s youth is complex, with many contributing factors, and even though the pandemic is over, the problem persists. No matter the cause of any child’s mental illness, Snyder said it is important that parents or caregivers seek help, whether that be from a therapist, psychiatrist, or even the child’s pediatrician.  

“If a pediatrician finds that the child is depressed, they will refer them to a psychiatrist or a psychologist for further evaluation. So you don’t have to start at the hospital,” Snyder said. “There are resources out there, and a primary-care physician can help point you in the right direction.” 

While treatment in the form of medication has increased, psychotherapy is typically the first line of treatment if symptoms are not interfering with daily life. If within several months they are not doing better, then it is time to go see a psychiatrist. According to Snyder, a combination of medication and therapy sometimes works better. 

“If a child’s functional level is poor, then you may want to start the medication right away,” Snyder said. “But still, the therapy can help them learn to cope with depression better so that at some point, hopefully, they can come off the medication.”

Medication or Not Medication?

Parents may be hesitant when it comes to medication, and understandably so. But for some children, medication might be necessary, and that is not something to be ashamed about. The brain is just like any other organ, except that it runs things. And so, if it is not working, the rest of the body does not work so well either. 

Snyder compares it to managing diabetes.  

“If someone has a blood sugar problem, they take insulin and change their diet,” Snyder said. “Depression is kind of like that. We have medications that help. We also have therapy that can help. My main message is to seek help.” 

The original version of this story was posted on the Loma Linda University Health news site.