The pandemic has taken a significant toll on the mental health of young people in Southern California, exacerbating an existing crisis. This article explores the alarming rise in depression and anxiety among children, teens, and young adults, with the prevalence of clinically diagnosed depression increasing by 60% since 2017. The study highlights how the pandemic has accelerated this worrying trend, impacting all demographic groups. As the nation grapples with this issue, the importance of addressing the mental well-being of our youth becomes increasingly evident. Depression and anxiety can have far-reaching consequences, and this crisis demands urgent attention.
A Concerning Trend
A study done by Kaiser Permanente Southern California gives a peek into the emotional problems that young people are experiencing in the North region. Data showed that the rate of clinically diagnosed depression among 1.7 million patients aged from 5 to 22 was 60 per cent higher in 2021 than it was five years previously. The pattern held true whether people were old or young, male or female, white or black, Hispanic or Asian; and regardless of level of education.
The research team also identified that the annual increase was greater in 2020 and 2021 compared to each of the three preceding years for new depression diagnoses. So the “existing crisis…has been worsened by the COVID-19 epidemic,” when it “completely crashed” their mental health, taking an enormous personal toll on youth in Southern California.
The Ripple Effect of Anxiety
The study also looked at how common it was for youth who were not depressed to have anxiety. The study found the rate of first-time cases of anxiety has increased by 35% from 2017 to 2021. Almost 37% of the young anxieties were diagnosed with depression, suggesting these disorders frequently co-occur among youths.
Incidence of those suffering anxiety without depression was highest among college-age young adults, and race and income as well influenced risk. Not only does it point at a mental health crisis being present in all demographics, but also sends s clear message that the agenda addressing this needs to be comprehensive and inclusive.
The Long-Lasting Impact
Dr. Siddhartha Kumar, the study’s senior author stresses impact that such struggles with mental health can have on youth saying they could live up to their description forever. The teenage years are the time in which an individual builds his own sense of self, experiences during this period can adversely affect how one deals with stress and challenges as adults, he explains.
The findings in the study are based on official diagnoses within the Kaiser Permanente Southern California health system, said Christina Bethell, of Johns Hopkins University, but it is likely that many more children actually have food allergies. Other people with diagnoses of depression and anxiety may not be diagnosed, diagnosed to begin with, or be in a position (or have the resources) to seek the services of a professional, at least not in time for their impairment to significantly influence recovery outcome. Thus the data likely captures only a fraction of the young people experiencing this mental health burden in the region.
