Stay-At-Home Order Impacting Children's Mental Health

CHICAGO (CBS)-- The stay-at-home order is impacting kids with changes in routine, isolation and nowhere to burn off extra energy.

An estimated 15 million children have significant emotional and psychological issues and are in need of a child psychiatrist.

With the stay-at-home order, fewer people have access to psychiatrists. According to Dr. Cynthia Ambler, a pediatrician at Northwestern Medicine, it is necessary to prioritize the need for mental health.

"People don't think about mental illness as real." Ambler said. "This is a medical problem. You don't have wellness if you don't have physical wellness and emotional, psychological wellness and yet in our society, there's a stigma with mental illness."

Ambler says many insurance companies do not cover psychologists, which only makes the problem worse.

She recommends speaking with your child's pediatrician first, so they can point you in the right direction and tell you about any existing resources.