Edward-Elmhurst Health: Managing your teen's anxiety during COVID-19

WARRENVILLE, Ill., Nov. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global COVID-19 pandemic is causing anxiety for many, which is a normal reaction to dealing with the life changes people are experiencing. For children and teenagers, certain components of this new world can be especially anxiety-producing.

"At a time when peer contact is incredibly important to well-being, kids have not been allowed to socialize, attend school normally, participate in sports activities or use playground equipment. The loss of this social connection beyond their immediate family can cause a significant increase in anxiety," says Janice Kowalski, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Linden Oaks Behavioral Health, part of the Edward-Elmhurst Health system in suburban Chicago.

"This may be especially challenging for children with less than ideal home lives. Additional quarantine-related problems include increased risk of depression, irritability, insomnia, anger and emotional exhaustion," Kowalski says.

The pivot to e-learning also causes an increase in adolescent anxiety. Frustration with the change in format or technical difficulties can also decrease a teen's motivation to learn.

How can parents help their child/teen manage pandemic-related anxiety? Here are four steps to mitigate its severity:

1. Be consistent. "Establish routines and schedules for consistency and a sense of normalcy, such as working on schoolwork during school hours, helping kids get exercise and time out of the house, and encouraging a healthy sleep schedule," says Kowalski. School-aged children need 10-11 hours each night, while adolescents require 8-10 hours.
2. Encourage social connection. Help kids find ways to maintain social relationships—through social media, video calls and/or socially distant get-togethers.
3. Create a supportive environment. Spend more structured time together as a family. "Schedule a game night or movie night, eat dinner together regularly, and create daily check-ins and space for kids to talk about their feelings," says Kowalski.
4. Encourage new virtual experiences. From home, kids can tour museums and national parks, take classes (for learning and recreation), and keep in touch with their peers and extended family.

If a child/teen is having difficulty completing schoolwork, isolating from friends and family, sleeping a lot more or less than usual, or having trouble managing emotions, further support may be needed.

For more information, visit www.EEHealth.org/coronavirus.

SOURCE Edward-Elmhurst Health

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