帮助青少年应对压力
Growing up during a global pandemic isn’t easy. Teens faced unprecedented disruptions to their lives. New analysis confirms that COVID-19 had troubling mental-health effects in particular on high school students.
在大流行期间，青少年忍受了:
- 学校关闭
- 社会隔离
- 父母或个人失业
- Reduced access to health care and inadequate insurance coverage
- 经济、粮食和住房不安全
- Increased emotional and physical abuse by a parent
- 健康差距日益扩大
More than 1 in 3 high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic. About 44% of students reported feeling persistently sad or hopeless, and almost 20% said they seriously considered suicide. 分析, released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is based on data from a nationally representative survey of high school students during the first half of 2021.
The research found that specific groups of teens were more affected.
一些人:
- 女同性恋, gay and bisexual high school students reported persistently feeling sad or hopeless 75% of the time, compared with 37% of heterosexual students. About 26% also reported attempting suicide in the past 12 months, compared with 5% of heterosexual students.
- Researchers said was reported by 64% of Asian American students and more than 50% of both Black and multiracial students. 进行比较, the research found approximately of all students reported being treated badly or unfairly in school due to their race or ethnicity in their lifetime.
给青少年父母的建议
Feeling sad, anxious and angry are normal during the teen years. However, serious problems can occur when these are constant or overwhelming.
Research shows specific actions reduced the prevalence of poor mental health in teens during the pandemic. These included feeling close to persons at school and being virtually connected with others.
As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, adults can help teens in several ways:
沟通. Ask about their feelings and let them know you are there to listen or help.
鼓励健康行为. Remind them to take care of the basics such as exercising, sleeping well and reducing screen time.
做个好榜样. Adults should model healthy behaviors by taking care of their own mental and physical health.
知道什么时候需要帮助. Sometimes health care professionals are needed to screen and treat mental health problems. Professional counseling may be necessary in some instances, such as when grieving the loss of a loved one to COVID-19.
青少年压力的迹象
Here are some common warning signs of distress in teens.
情绪和行为的改变: Loss of interest in activities previously enjoyed; ongoing irritability; feelings of hopelessness or rage; and frequent conflicts
睡眠模式: Difficulty falling or staying asleep or sleeping too much
对食物或身体的焦虑: Changes in appetite, weight or eating patterns; appearance changes, such as lack of basic hygiene
学术问题: Decreased interest in schoolwork or worsening concentration
增加不健康的选择: Using drugs, drinking alcohol or other risk-taking behaviors
Comments about death or suicide should be taken seriously. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers immediate help at
