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The mental health of stressed young people was transformed at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic: Many felt better. Anxiety and symptoms of depression dropped among older, high-achieving children in the United States. That was particularly true for students about to graduate from high school, our research in U.S. schools has found.<\/p>\n
Why? Children relaxed \u2026 for a bit. COVID-19 provided a full stop to the busyness of some teenage lives. The treadmill of pressure, activities, and commitments halted. Out went crisscrossing among band practice, sports clubs, social activities, and hours of homework into the small hours. Lockdowns brought that high-octane life to a sudden standstill.<\/p>\n
Children got more sleep \u2013 they weren\u2019t leaving home at 7 am. Many schools had staggered hours and reduced the pressure, shifting from grading assignments to awarding a pass or fail. Social anxiety was reduced \u2013 a teenager didn\u2019t need to worry about being left out of the lunch table or not being invited to parties that no longer happened. Missing out on a romantic relationship didn\u2019t matter as much \u2013 kids were not seeing seemingly happy couples at school or at social gatherings.<\/p>\n
But this break didn\u2019t last. As we worked with schools through the arrival of summer, we found that anxiety and depression had risen again among older high school students. Their initial relief morphed into feeling that life was unsettling, scary, and lonely — young people experienced grief about incomplete endings and fears about what might lie ahead.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnxiety and depression dropped initially for older, high-achieving children in the United States.\u201d<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n