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The US surgeon general warned on Tuesday that young people are facing “devastating” mental health effects as a result of the hardships their generations have faced, including the coronavirus pandemic.
The message is that the best doctor in the country, Dr. It came as part of a rare public consultation from Vivek H. Murthy. In a 53-page report Noting that the pandemic has intensified mental health problems already prevalent in the spring of 2020.
The report cited significant increases in self-reports of depression, anxiety, and emergency room visits for mental health issues. In the United States, emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased 51 percent in adolescent girls in early 2021 compared to the same period in 2019. This figure increased by 4 percent for men.
The report noted that symptoms of anxiety and depression have doubled globally during the pandemic. However, mental health problems were already on the rise in the United States, with emergency room visits for depression, anxiety and related problems increasing 28 percent from 2007 to 2018.
The causes are complex and not yet conclusive. According to reports, adolescent brain chemistry and relationships with friends and family are important factors, as are the fast-paced media culture that can make some young minds feel helpless.
Dr. “Young people are bombarded with messages that erode their sense of self-worth through the media and popular culture, telling them they don’t look good enough, aren’t popular enough, aren’t smart enough or rich enough,” Murthy wrote in the report. “This comes as progress on legitimate and sad issues like climate change, income inequality, racial injustice, the opioid epidemic and gun violence.”
The general surgeon’s advice adds to the growing number of calls for attention and action on adolescent mental health. In October, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Association of Children’s Hospitals united to declare youth mental health a “national emergency.”
While social media is often to blame for teenage distress, research shows that screen time alone doesn’t explain the crisis. Instead, social media and other online activities act more to strengthen an adolescent’s current mental state, causing some to feel more distressed and others to experience a greater sense of connection.
Bonnie Nagel, a pediatric neuropsychologist at Oregon Health and Science University who treats and studies adolescents, said online interactions don’t meet basic needs for connection.
recent research One of its authors shows that loneliness is an important determinant of feelings of depression and suicidal ideation.
Dr. “I don’t think it’s a real human connection when talking to someone with a fake appearance online,” Nagel said.
At the same time, it may be displacing activities known to be vital to physical and mental health, including screen time, sleep, exercise, and face-to-face activity. Research shows that. Despite spending countless hours on the media, the current younger generation expresses higher levels of loneliness than any other age group.
Authorities and scientists widely acknowledge that there is insufficient research into the underlying causes. Dr. Murthy’s advice calls for more resources to be devoted to understanding and addressing mental health issues and encourages a greater appreciation of mental health as a key factor in overall health.
“This is a moment to demand change,” the report concludes.
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