The Hidden Cost of the Pandemic: Youth Mental Health
NICK PROCAYLO/PNG
From socializing to identity development, high school comes with many challenges. The onset of COVID-19 has only amplified mental health challenges in youth across British Columbia. How is this affecting Hamber students and how can they seek support?
In her first year at Hamber, Aliana Pink (8) explained, “high school hasn’t been as difficult as I thought it would be, but it has still been different than what I am used to. You don’t know the students, school or the teachers so still school definitely causes minor stress.” Many students The Nest spoke to expressed similar anxiety when dealing with schoolwork, socializing, and grades.
According to a 2006 report by the Government of Canada, up to 70 per cent of mental health challenges start during adolescence. Staff at an high school can aid students and offer mental health resources. Counselors at Hamber offer support for any problem students may face.
“The counselors are here to make sure that students feel safe at school and that their voices are heard,” said Mr. C. Smith, Head of Hamber’s Counselling Department.
If you want to talk to your designated counselor, you can set up an appointment via email or find them in the Counselling Suite.
Besides the counselors, there are numerous other resources at our school to help students with the challenges they face. Hamber has a team of grade 12 Peer Counsellors (‘PCs’), who are there for support.
“We are a group of senior students who aim to make our younger students feel like they have someone to talk to in any given situation,” stated PC Gloria Rahgozar (12). You can always find the PCs in the hallways wearing light blue t-shirts, or in the Counselling Suite or “PC Suite” during lunch hours and FIT blocks.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to adapt to a new way of learning, but is the pandemic still affecting students? Jamie Sinclair (11) believes so. “High school is the time of our lives where we’re supposed to figure out what kind of people we want to be and who we want to interact with. After being isolated for so long, it’s hard to socialize normally.”
Returning to school after quarantine has proven difficult for many students. While senior students are readapting, junior students have a different experience because they have not experienced a regular high school year. “I missed out on all the things that grade 8’s would usually get to experience, like going to camp and joining clubs,” shared Dala’A Kanan (9), who feels affected by the reintegration after lockdown.
This is supported by a study from BC Children’s Hospital, finding two-thirds of children and youth in British Columbia have been struggling with mental health since the start of the pandemic. This is an increase of 33 per cent since 2019. Dr. Quynh Doan, a pediatrician at the hospital and a UBC professor, said in an interview with the Vancouver Sun that “Everybody’s realizing that there’s going to be a huge mental health cost to this pandemic.” She speculates it is due to “the uncertainty, the change in [youth’s] lives, the worry that they might get [COVID], that someone in their family might get it.”
In addition to the support offered at Hamber, there are many out of school resources for youth mental health. These include the Kids Help Line at https://kidshelpphone.ca or 1-800-668-6868, Vancouver Coastal Health Youth Mental Health Services at http://www.vch.ca/your-care/mental-health-substance-use/children-youth-mental-health-services and The Canadian Mental Health Association’s BounceBack for anyone 15+, at https://bouncebackbc.ca.
Reaching out for help is very important. No matter how you feel, you are not alone.