MEMPHIS, Tenn — Tuesday, health leaders declared a national emergency after finding soaring rates of mental health challenges among children, adolescents, and their families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.

They are urging policymakers to take immediate action to address the problem.

“Even before the pandemic we’d seen increasing rates of depression, anxiety and even suicidality,” said Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital child psychiatrist Dr. Thomaseo Burton. “So with the pandemic, we saw the social isolation. 

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Dr. Burton said with kids not being able to readily see their friends or thrive in a normal routine they experienced disruption they likely hadn’t gone through before.  

“We know that change is difficult for all of us and so going into the pandemic and all of those changes that happened with all of a sudden we’re not going to school, all of a sudden we’re not seeing our friends and families,” he said.  

Also, the return back to life in the classroom is an adjustment too.

Health professionals including the American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in child and adolescent health, citing the pandemic. Dr. Burton said mental health isn’t an issue we can afford to sit on but requires action now.  

“This national emergency is really targeted toward policymakers so that we can have more federal funding to make mental health care more accessible,” said Burton.  

The psychiatrist said such funding would include community-based care, telehealth options and ensure more evidence-based treatments for everyone. 

Burton also laid out what parents can be on the lookout for when it comes to their child’s mental well-being. 

“We want parents to be looking out for things like loneliness or increased isolation,” he said. “When kids aren’t doing the things they typically enjoy doing those are all signals that we might need to look a little more closely.”