More teenage girls went to the ER as a result of eating disorders along with anxiety and depression during 2020.
A new study conducted by the CDC highlights the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on a generation of adolescent girls and the mental health issues they have faced over the past few years.
According to the study, emergency room visits related to eating disorders and other mental health related issues doubled among teenage girls during the pandemic.
CDC researchers believe this increase was brought about by pandemic-related stress, a lack of structure and daily routine, changes in food availability or exacerbated by reduced access to mental health care. Throughout the pandemic, teens have also struggled with feelings of loneliness, isolation, and loss of control.
* Weekly eating disorder visits doubled among girls age 12-17
* Visits for tic disorders nearly tripled during the pandemic
Emergency Room visits increased for four mental health conditions – depression, eating, tic and obsessive-compulsive disorders during 2021.
It increased for five conditions – anxiety, trauma and stress-related eating, tic and obsessive-compulsive disorders during January 2022 compared with 2019.
The CDC also states that as of June 2021 over 140,000 children and adolescents lost parents and caregivers to Covid-19.
In 2021, a national emergency* for children’s mental health was declared by several pediatric health organizations.
The U.S. Surgeon General released an advisory† on mental health among youths.
These actions resulted from ongoing concerns about children’s mental health in the United States, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic*
It’s not known what the extent of the pandemic has had on the mental health of adolescents in Canada.
Eating Disorders Trigged by Pandemic
Eating disorders can be triggered by pandemic-related risk factors (e.g., lack of structure in daily routine, emotional distress, and changes in food availability) or exacerbated by reduced access to mental health care during the pandemic (4,5).
Increases in visits for tic disorders among adolescent females are atypical. Tic disorders usually begin earlier in childhood and are more prevalent among males (6,7).
Stress from the pandemic or exposure to severe tics, highlighted on social media platforms, might be associated with increases in visits with tics and tic-like behavior among adolescent females
This article was first published in the March’22 issue of the Herbal Collective. Sign up to get a free sample issue.
