Since the pandemic, teens across the country have been affected by Covid-19. The side effects of quarantine and isolation have taken a toll on our mental health and impacted our home lives.

Over half the students we surveyed reported having some kind of anxiety or depression. Less than 5% of them said they have reached out for help of some sort. Of the students surveyed, 70% were female, 23% were male, and 7% chose not to specify.  Of those who chose not to specify both reported serious mental health concerns. 

“Mentally it was the lowest I’ve been,” said Elizabeth Tourville, an S9 student. “Between being completely isolated from everyone I knew, and stress from trying to complete school virtually and of course the possibility of someone I knew getting sick.”

The CDC gathered data saying “over 55% of kids reported physical or emotional abuse by a parent/guardian” during the pandemic. Some things included hitting, yelling, swearing, and insulting. The stress on students and parents alike increased.

“My mental health really declined because I was on social media all the time and comparing myself to people.” said an anonymous S9 student “I just really struggled with a lot of issues mostly relating to my body; body dysmorphia really set in. It’s crazy because before I never really thought about stuff like that”. Quarantine affected a lot of girls in this way.

d LGBTQ+ kids, in particular, had an increase in suicide attempts during the pandemic,” says the CDC. Within the first year of the pandemic, there has been a 25% increase in depression in teens and multiple mental health problems worsening. 

“Because of the pandemic my anxiety, so to speak, ramped up. And I would have problems.” said one S9 student. This student also said coming out of the closet was even more stressful because they had been around their family so much and had gotten closer.