Edward-Elmhurst Health: Managing your teen's anxiety during COVID-19
Nov 11, 2020, 12:45 ET
WARRENVILLE, Ill., Nov. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global COVID-19 pandemic is causing anxiety for many, which is a normal reaction to dealing with the life changes people are experiencing. For children and teenagers, certain components of this new world can be especially anxiety-producing.
"At a time when peer contact is incredibly important to well-being, kids have not been allowed to socialize, attend school normally, participate in sports activities or use playground equipment. The loss of this social connection beyond their immediate family can cause a significant increase in anxiety," says Janice Kowalski, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, part of the Edward-Elmhurst Health system in suburban Chicago.
"This may be especially challenging for children with less than ideal home lives. Additional quarantine-related problems include increased risk of depression, irritability, insomnia, anger and emotional exhaustion," Kowalski says.
The pivot to e-learning also causes an increase in adolescent anxiety. Frustration with the change in format or technical difficulties can also decrease a teen's motivation to learn.
How can parents help their child/teen manage pandemic-related anxiety? Here are four steps to mitigate its severity:
- Be consistent. "Establish routines and schedules for consistency and a sense of normalcy, such as working on schoolwork during school hours, helping kids get exercise and time out of the house, and encouraging a healthy sleep schedule," says Kowalski. School-aged children need 10-11 hours each night, while adolescents require 8-10 hours.
- Encourage social connection. Help kids find ways to maintain social relationships—through social media, video calls and/or socially distant get-togethers.
- Create a supportive environment. Spend more structured time together as a family. "Schedule a game night or movie night, eat dinner together regularly, and create daily check-ins and space for kids to talk about their feelings," says Kowalski.
- Encourage new virtual experiences. From home, kids can tour museums and national parks, take classes (for learning and recreation), and keep in touch with their peers and extended family.
If a child/teen is having difficulty completing schoolwork, isolating from friends and family, sleeping a lot more or less than usual, or having trouble managing emotions, further support may be needed.
For more information, visit www.EEHealth.org/coronavirus.
SOURCE Edward-Elmhurst Health
