New Colorado survey shows COVID-19 youth mental health effects with an increase in depression

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – After gathering information in the course of the fall of final yr, The Colorado Division of Public Well being and Setting has launched the outcomes for the most recent Wholesome Youngsters Colorado Survey. The final time the survey was performed was in 2019, and psychological well being points have worsened in comparison with earlier than the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the survey, 40% of youth skilled emotions of despair up to now yr, up from 35% in 2019. Moreover, 51% of youth felt every day stress extra typically in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Suicide charges had been additionally increased amongst youth who’re transgender, homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, asexual, non-binary, or multi-racial.

Nonetheless, based on the survey, substance abuse has decreased.

“What we discovered is that extra youth are experiencing emotions of despair greater than ever earlier than. We additionally discovered a steep decline in substance use,” says Emily Positive, the Faculty and Youth Supervisor for the state well being division. “I’d suppose that there’s one thing associated to the pandemic that persists with these outcomes that we’re seeing”

The state well being division attributes the lower in substance abuse to the youth of Colorado discovering substances much less obtainable, but in addition extra dangerous.

“The excellent news is that youth suppose that utilizing these substances is extra dangerous than ever earlier than, that they’d be harmed by these substances,” states Positive.

Stacey Jenkins, the director for an nameless reporting company Safe2Tell, additionally highlighted one other concern the pandemic offered: a lower in reporting.

“The largest affect from the pandemic was a lower in suggestions. And that’s typical when college students aren’t within the faculty constructing,” Jenkins says. “So in the course of the pandemic when college students had been engaged in distant studying, we noticed our tip quantity fall by 45%”

Safe2Tell urges the general public to at all times err on the facet of reporting to a trusted grownup after they or a good friend are experiencing points with psychological well being, substance abuse and parental neglect, amongst different doable risks.

Assets to report an individual in want of assist can be found by clicking right here.

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