The coronavirus pandemic is impacting teens just like everybody else. COVID-19 has been responsible for the closure of schools in most states. Schools have had to cancel proms and graduation ceremonies. High school seniors are having to start their college careers virtually. Ultimately, the repercussions of COVID-19 have had a significant impact on teenagers and their mental well-being. The rate of mental health conditions in teens is bound to rise because of the pandemic. Fortunately, teens can still receive mental health treatment services from the facilities around them. Destinations for Teens can help you understand how COVID-19 is impacting teens and offer teen mental health treatment services. To learn more about our teen treatment centers, call 877.466.0620 for more information.
COVID-19 and Its Impact on Teen Mental Health
It is not a secret that COVID-19 is causing a lot of economic turmoil for families. More and more people are getting furloughed or, in some cases, laid off. Teens in these families shoulder the consequences, albeit indirectly sometimes. For instance, economic turmoil affects the quality of life for some teenagers. Teens may need to adjust their lifestyles drastically due to a sudden shift in finances. Some other ways COVID-19 is impacting teens include:
- Internet Addiction: Social distancing and stay at home orders leave teens with a lot of time to spare. Since hanging out with their friends physically is difficult, teens often opt to stay in touch through social media. This exposes teenagers to higher chances of developing an internet addiction. Internet addiction may increase the likelihood of developing anxiety because of the fear of missing out.
- Lack of Physical Social Interaction: Teens are used to seeing their friends every weekday in school and hanging out together on the weekends. With stay at home orders in place, now teens can only keep in touch with their friends via social media, text messaging, calling one another on the phone, or through apps such as FaceTime, Google Meet, or Zoom. This lack of physical social interaction may cause your teen to feel as though they are missing out and they may isolate themselves, which is a common sign of anxiety in teens.
- Loss of Opportunities: High school seniors missed their senior prom, their graduation ceremony, and countless other rites of passage. Trips have been canceled or rescheduled indefinitely. For some teens, their college experience is taking place entirely online. Others may have a hard time finding full-time or part-time employment. Teens struggling with mental health may take these losses especially hard. Their brains are still maturing and they are emotionally fragile. Teens cannot handle disappointment as well as full-grown adults. The loss in opportunities may lead to prolonged periods of feeling sadness and hopelessness, which are often signs of depression.
Mental Health Treatment at Destinations for Teens
At Destinations for Teens, we offer a variety of therapeutic services for teens struggling with mental health conditions such as depression or anxiety. We understand that each teen is unique, so we create individualized treatment plans for each of our clients. Some of the therapies utilized in our mental health treatment programs include the following:
Contact Destinations for Teens Today
These are unprecedented, uncertain times and COVID-19 is greatly impacting teens and their mental health. The backlash of untreated mental health conditions can last far longer than the current pandemic. Fortunately, Destinations for Teens is here to help. We are proud to offer adolescent teen mental health treatment in California. To learn more about what we can do for you and your teen, contact Destinations for Teens at 877.466.0620 today.