COVID-19
U.S. Surgeon General Issues Rare Public Advisory on the Emerging Youth Mental Health Crisis
In a rare move, the U.S. Surgeon General issued a public health advisory warning of the emerging youth mental health crisis. The 53-page advisory was released Tuesday by Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy.
Murthy says the emerging crisis has been exacerbated by pandemic hardships. Not only are symptoms of depression and anxiety skyrocketing, so are displays of negative emotions and behavior.
“Advisories are reserved for significant public health challenges that need the nation’s immediate awareness and action” the document states, in an attempt to demonstrate the severity of the warning.
The document goes on to call for a broad-based and rapid response from the government, social media companies, community groups, schools, teachers, parents and even students – and listed resources available to them.
Depression and anxiety have doubled, with an entire 25% of youth experiencing depressive symptoms and 20% experiencing anxiety symptoms. Negative emotions or behaviors like impulsivity and irritability are also increasing.
The advisory notes that the pandemic-related safety measures which reduced in-person interactions among children friends, social supports and professionals such as teachers, school counselors, pediatricians and child welfare workers resulted in isolation which made it “harder to recognize signs of child abuse, mental health concerns and other challenges.”
While children of all backgrounds have always faced and are at risk for mental health challenges, the nearly two years of disruption from the pandemic “took a toll and worsened their mental health – especially for such groups as immigrants, students with disabilities and students of color from low-income families.”
Also, many students of all ages and levels are having trouble adjusting when in-person schooling resumes.
The United Kingdom is enjoying a huge announcement. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced “the end of all Covid measures introduced to combat the Omicron variant – compulsory mask-wearing on public transport and in shops, guidance to work from home and vaccine certificates – from next week” reports The Guardian.
For those with coronavirus, the legal requirement for them to self-isolate will also be allowed to lapse when the regulations expire on March 24. Johnson also announced an immediate end for students to wear masks at secondary schools.
“From tomorrow we will no longer require face masks in classrooms and the Department for Education will shortly remove national guidance on their use in communal areas,” Johnson told the Commons.
“In the country at large we will continue to suggest the use of face coverings in enclosed or crowded spaces, particularly when you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, but we will trust the judgment of the British people and no longer criminalise anyone who chooses not to wear one.”
The Prime Minister said Covid data was “showing that time and again this government got the toughest decisions right” and that plan B rules that were put in place in December could all be lifted from next Thursday, the day after a pre-existing review point.
The Guardian notes Britain had expected Johnson would soon be ending work-from-home guidance and the mandate to show a certificate proving vaccination or proof of a recent negative Covid test. However, the immediate lifting of mandatory mask rules will “come as a surprise to some.”
Johnson is receiving some push back from some teaching and health unions. The general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, said ministers would “regret sending the wrong signal to the public for political expediency”.
Joint general secretary of the National Education Union Mary Bousted said, “While the trend amongst secondary aged children is down, it is however uncertain, due to the short time schools have been back since the Christmas holidays, that this trend will continue. Such uncertainty could lead to a pronounced risk of increased disruption with children and staff having to isolate.”
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Doug
December 8, 2021 at 8:57 pm
It’s funny how they manufacture this crisis and then all the aftereffects neatly support the narrative. since the test can’t distinguish between the flu and it’s impossible that the flu dropped 95% we have no idea how many people actually had covid.
What we do know based on actual science is that the shutdowns and social distancing led to the pandemic being around longer and well as a rise in the deaths and infected by interfering with natural herd immunity. That was the goal. Masks did, and continue to do nothing and what they are attributing to the vaccine is simply herd immunity eventually taking hold.
So if you supported the shutdowns. If you participated in them. If you went out wearing a mask. Then you personally share in the responsibility of the increase in teen suicide. You personally have blood on your hands if you engaged in any of those behaviors since the science was clear that none of these things were effective from the beginning.
Claiming that you were simply following the directions of failed bureaucrats disguised as scientists you are still sitting with blood on your hands. Let’s start putting the responsibility directly where it lies. Licensed healthcare worker with 35 years in healthcare.
Sonny
December 9, 2021 at 9:12 am
You are spot on. Very few think for themselves anymore.