Mayo Clinic weighs in on anxiety and depression among teens

ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – As teens deal with transitioning between online and in-person learning and other pandemic challenges, anxiety and depression among young people is getting worse.

A recent report with U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says kids ages eight to 18 should routinely be screened for anxiety.

Experts say being in a community and having a social network is important for children’s and teen’s development, so they are not surprised at the rise of mental health issues amid lockdowns and restrictions.

Dr. Marcie Billings, a pediatrician with the Mayo Clinic says your child will most likely not come right out and tell you that they have depression or anxiety, which makes it that much more important to know the signs of these mental health issues.

“We’re seeing things like fatigue, we’re seeing things like academic challenges, anxiety, depressed mood obviously, sleep disturbance, eating concerns. Just parents feeling concern that their child is not participating or not being as socially engaged,” Dr. Billings said.

Tuesday, Olmsted County announced it is distributing nearly $1 million to mental health services to schools and other services to expand mental health resources in the area.

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