DOUG: THANK YOU. IF YOU’RE A PARENT, WE DON’T HAVE TO TELL YOU, THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF HAS TAKEN A TL,OL DEFINITELY ON OUR KIDS. ANTOINETTE: A RECENT NATIONAL STUDY FOUND A 30% INCREASE IN DEMAND FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES FOR KIDS UNDER 13. AND A 16% JUMP FOR ADOLESCENTS. REMOTE LEARNING, ANXIETY AND UNCERTAINTY, ALL TAKING THEIR TOLL. DO:UG WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY IS ON SUNDAY, SO ALL DAY DAY ONTO NEWSCENTER 5 WE’LL BE FOCUNGSI ON DIFFERENT GROUPS STRUGGLING TO COPE WITH THE ONGOING PANDEMIC. ANTOINETTE: AND THIS MORNING ON THE EYEOPENER, THAT FOCUS ISN O CHILDREN. WE’RE JOINED LIVE BY DR. KHADIJAH BOOTH WATKINS, THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CLAY CENTER FOR YOUNG HEALTHY MDSIN AT M.GH DR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING , WITH US. >> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. ANTOINETTE: THE IMPACT OF THIS PANDEMIC HAS BEEN SO WIDE, GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT YOU’RE SEEING FROM KIDS WHO ARDEEPLYE AFFECTED? THIS PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED AIR KIDSS PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED AIR TO ENDURE A GREAT DEAL OF STRESS WHICH IS BEEN RELENTLSES AND THE UNCERTAINTY HAS TAKEN AN EMOTIONAL TOLL. THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF LOSS AND WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF ANXIETY IN THESE KIDS AND A LOT OF DEPRESSION AND WE ARE SEEING AND IMPACT AS FAR AS SUICIDES IN KIDS .COVID HAS EXACERBATED THE INEQUITIES THAT HAVE LONG EXISTED FOR RACIAL AND ETHNIC MINORITY GROUPS SO THESE KIDS HAD TO SUFFER THE BURDEN OF INSECURIESTI AROUND HOUSING AND FOOD INSECURITIES AND THEY WEREN’T ABLE TO ACCESS EDUCATION IN THE SEAM WAY BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T HAVE THE SAME RESOURCES. IT’S BEEN NOT EASY FOR SO MANY. DOUG: HOW ABOUT WARNING SIGNS? AS PARENTS, WE’RELW AAYS WATCHING FOR WARNING SIGNS, WHAT SHOULD WE BE LOOKI F?NG >> IT CAN BE HARD TO KNOW SOMETIMES SFFTU WE TYPICALLY KNOW WHEN SOMETHING IS NOT RIGHT WITH HER KIDS BUT WE ARE LOOKING FOR CHANGES IN WHO THEY TYPICALLY ARE AND HOW THEY BEHAVE. CHANGES IN APPETITE, SLEEP, THEIR MOOD OR IF THEY ARE NOT TAKING CARE OF THEMSELVES. THOSE OF THE EARLY SIGNS BUT SOME OF THE MORE SEVEER SIGNS WOULD BE PROLONGED SADNESS, ISOLATION AND WITH DRAWL. THEY UDSE TO BE GOOD STUDENTS AND NOW THEY ARE NOT AND THEY ARE STRUGGNGLI S. ANTOINET