'Unprecedented Amounts Of Children With Anxiety': Younger Generation Stressed While Living With COVID

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) – Two years after COVID-19 first arrived in Colorado, medical experts are now trying to address a dramatic spike in young children needing mental health care. According to UCHealth, one of Colorado's largest medical providers, the pandemic caused many children 12-year-old and younger to experience stress, depression and anxiety. Now, as the pandemic evolves into an endemic phase, UCHealth has released a set of tools to help parents and children address the issues their facing.

"We are seeing unprecedented amounts of children with anxiety," said Dr. Kathy Sigda, Clinical Psychologist for UCHealth. "Particularly in younger children, 12 and under the request for appointments shot way up from the beginning of the pandemic and has continued through now."

In a series of videos entitled "Navigating the Seas of COVID Stress," Sigda and other mental health experts with UCHealth not only help parents identify concerns with their young children, but the videos also help children understand their emotions and how to cope with them.

"As adults, it isn't hard for us to remember what it was like before all of that happened. But, for children, particularly young children, they only have a hazy memory at best of what life was like before the pandemic," Sigda told CBS4's Dillon Thomas. "They've just been bathed in this atmosphere and anxiety. There are so many stressors for kids in today's world."

The team at UCHealth said the war in Ukraine is just one more factor that could be causing children to experience anxiety and stress.

For many years mental health has been prioritized among teenage children. However, since the start of COVID-19 UCHealth has seen an increase in younger kids needing assistance.

"This is the first time I have seen such a huge need and a huge focus in younger children needing mental health support," Sigda said.

Many parents do not have experience identifying and addressing emotional concerns when it comes to their children.

Dr. Sigda said some common signs of stress, anxiety or depression come with acting out, increased aggression or inability to sleep well.

"It most often happens at night when children are trying to go to bed and they suddenly become scared about things, worries, nervous, fearful, crying don't want to be along or go to bed at night," Sigda said.

Dr. Sigda said parents should ask their children how they are feeling, even if some kids cannot find words to describe their specific emotions. Sigda said parents can affirm their children by telling them it is okay to feel down or anxious, but emphasized it was important to address the concerns with a mentality of also finding a way to move forward.

"Validating our children's emotions is really important," Sigda said.

UCHealth also encourages parents to speak with their child's teacher or pediatrician if they have concerns. Often times those professionals have better insight into how children that age are acting and handling stresses.

"It is very encouraging to see that more people feel comfortable with using mental health services," Sigda said. "It is going to take some time to return to a sense of normalcy."

LINK: UCHealth Free Videos