“You may be a youth reading this article, or a parent of a child, or maybe even a grand-parent. I would like to bring your attention to the top 3 issues facing youth today.
Some issues have always been there but there have been new obstacles beginning to surface in the eyes of the public. Especially with the pandemic going around. The mental health impact of COVID-19 on youth who are particularly vulnerable is being investigated in a new study led by Dr. Paul Arnold, MD, PhD, and Dr. Iliana Ortega, MD, and their research team from The Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education in the Hotchkiss Brain Institute (HBI) at the Cumming School of Medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for young people. Social isolation, disruption of daily routines, and the transition to distance learning have created an environment of uncertainty and stress, which has the potential to negatively impact their mental health in the long run.
Another issue out of many is the pressures that teenagers face from school, parents, and peers can lead to long-term stress patterns. Being cooped up at home and cut off from the rest of the world only adds to the feeling. It is critical that we assist them in dealing with life’s stresses in several ways:
- Assist them in creating healthy boundaries.
- Teach them how to prioritise in order to make their lives easier.
- Create a secure environment at home.
- Allow them to openly express their emotions.
This leads me to the third issue, the last but not least, depression and anxiety. Many teens fight depression and anxiety more than ever before. Some studies show that social media is linked to depression. Regardless of the source, watching for dangerous warning indications of depression and anxiety is crucial for the parents. Find a trusted doctor and consider treatment if your teen has signs of symptoms that are continuing or worsening. Sometimes when symptoms worsen it can lead to self harm.
Thank you for taking the time to read this.” – Harveer, 12-years-old.
The Calgary Police Youth Foundation Blog 