Teens' anxiety levels dropped during pandemic, study finds

[Dohorseseatapples]

Having witnessed the state of teenager’s MH decline over the last 20 years in schools, it’s an interesting view point.

My first thought was ‘No shit Sherlock’.
AIBU to agree with this report?

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-53884401

I was bullied at school from age 5-16. I would have loved not to have gone. School is great if you're popular and a cool kid. Otherwise it can be hell.

I'm genuinely surprised by this. My Y7 daughter has really struggled during lockdown and was so much happier when she was still at school. I'm sorry to hear school is a stressful place for many.

I'd be interested to see exactly what was asked and how anxiety levels were measured.

Back in May my teen probably still appreciated the lie in, they hadn’t had long off past Easter break.

But if you did a survey now you’d get a very high score on are you happier / more motivated in school type questions.

Being cooped up at home sometimes in overcrowded houses, parents and children trying to work from home, unable to see friends/relatives, restrictions all over the place, everything cancelled, anxiety with ongoing health conditions, restricted movement.
All of these things add up.
The Gov has tried to pin the MH of children in schools.
The whole COVID situation has caused stress and anxiety for some. Not schools closing.

I think more people are introverts than want to admit it.

My DD has been much happier at home. As a poster upthread said, it's all the parts around school too, the travel, early starts, long days and the relentlessness of being around people. She's missed lessons and learning (but has worked at home) but hasn't missed the school environment (or other kids) much at all. She's had social contact with friends during lockdown so hasn't been isolated.

@Dohorseseatapples

Being cooped up at home sometimes in overcrowded houses, parents and children trying to work from home, unable to see friends/relatives, restrictions all over the place, everything cancelled, anxiety with ongoing health conditions, restricted movement. All of these things add up. The Gov has tried to pin the MH of children in schools. The whole COVID situation has caused stress and anxiety for some. Not schools closing.

I still disagree. For some teens / dc it is schools closing at the heart of it.

God yes and no study needed to determine this is my experience. Teen years spent in school are so stressful for so many.i think it will be really hard to get many to return and not because of fear of the virus. Of course we could try and learn from this and change things and improve their experiences but we won't. Limited resources mean as many as possible will be shoved down the one size fits all route.

For some teens / dc it is schools closing at the heart of it.

Everything closed down for months.
Shops, places of work, restaurants, cinemas, clubs, theatres, cafes, leisure centres, travel industry... the list goes on.

But schools closing caused the stress and anxiety.

Yeh ok then!

@Dohorseseatapples

For some teens / dc it is schools closing at the heart of it.

Everything closed down for months.
Shops, places of work, restaurants, cinemas, clubs, theatres, cafes, leisure centres, travel industry... the list goes on.

But schools closing caused the stress and anxiety.

Yeh ok then!

You can disbelieve it if you want.

But I disagree based on teen here. I doubt he’s alone.

I feel sorry for dc who find school highly anxious, I do feel very lucky he is happy there, but his mood turned around in one day when he went back. It was marked and undoubtable.

Marsha
I didn’t realise your opinion was based on the experience of one child in your house.
So the closure of school caused ALL the stress for them? Nothing else contributed?

Like the whole of society closing down.

Well I’m not the only talking about the children in their house am I? The thread is full of pp doing the same.

No nothing else contributed, he saw his friends a lot (recently, it was harder when it was online only), ate well, exercised, and found online screen learning demotivating. Went back to school in June for a bit and switched back to positive in a day.

He isn’t an anxious teen though in general. But was annoyed school was closed for so long.

My teen has been fine with lockdown. He and his friends talk everyday so he has social contact. He has hardly been out of the house unless pressed to do so although he will spend time in the garden or exercising. He likes schools and says he isn't worried about it but he sufferers from IBS (which is likely stress related) and this has almost cleared up entirely these past few months. I am hoping the return to school won't set him off again.

Well I’m not the only talking about the children in their house am I?

So you work with hundred of teens?

he saw his friends a lot

Must have created a fair few bubbles.

My dd with ASD and anxiety is 13/14. She's been markedly less anxious while school has been closed. School is busy and stressful, social stuff is complex and removing all that has been good. She's worked hard in lock down and a couple of friends have been pretty solid.
The survey is about anxiety and not depression. I imagine a lot of dc who thrive on social interaction at school could be mildly depressed without that.

Oh god op you do go on. Why does a teen who isn’t anxious at school cause such a reaction?

If you were miserable or know everyone who is miserable then fine, but it’s not true for all dc. Closing schools had a negative not positive impact on him. He’s not alone in this.

They met outside, did you all stay locked up then and not see anyone? Anyway not bothering with you. I’ll let you stew in your miserable bubble.

The survey is about anxiety and not depression. I imagine a lot of dc who thrive on social interaction at school could be mildly depressed without that.

This. Without a doubt!

marsha

Closing schools had a negative not positive impact on him. He’s not alone in this.

I’m sure it has.
I’m sorry he has been so miserable and that school is the only thing in his life that he missed during lockdown.
That’s very sad for him 🙁

Haha you are funny and wrong

Pointless

He missed his friends as I said so improved when that ban was lifted. What else should he miss? Restaurants, pubs?

He did miss the gym but works out at home.

You need not feel sad you are being silly though.

Just for context, the survey spoke to just 126 children and that hardly seems to merit the headlines. Until I dig deeper I don't know how the cohort was selected or what if any other issues were in play - eg SEN, bullying, MH or of these were average kids with no pre-existing school problems. I don't think this report is good evidence for the wholesale revision of teaching methods and schools as institutions as has been suggested elsewhere. I'm sure there's lots of anecdotal evidence of children being 'happier' out of school but I'd still argue that for most lockdown hasn't been a positive experience. However, I also think that the educational establishment should be more open to addressing specific issues in collaboration with pupils and their parents instead of dismissing them as too often seems the case. Perhaps more investment in engagement?

My DDs anxiety is all but gone since lockdown. She's chosen not to meet up with people from school as she says "They're ok to message but I don't want to see them in RL" I can now see the anxiety starting to creep back as DDs is worrying about which school bag and shoes to have. It's serious making me consider whether she would be best off undertaking an apprenticeship post 16 so she can get out of the school/college setting and be with adults who don't care what bag or shoes you have.

This

The survey was done in May when schools had only been shut for a few weeks. It would be interesting to see how the prolonged closure has affected anxiety levels and mental health.

Anxiety is not just a disorder, it is a natural reaction to life stress. It is only an issue when it becomes disproportionate or constantly/frequently present.

We are all going to feel anxious at some point - about a deadline, about a difficult personal situation, about health issues, about an issue which is outside of our control. It's too long since I did training on this to remember all the technical stuff, but essentially this is a response which is connected to the "fight or flight" survival instinct.

Removing a whole bunch of potential stressors from life - no exams, no PE, no having to see that friend who you fell out with last week, no difficult maths homework, no so-and-so teacher who shouts - is naturally going to make a mentally healthy person less anxious (whereas it might make a person who is mentally unwell more stressed, as these every day stressors might have acted as a distraction from their underlying problems). But it may also mean that, as well as being less anxious, they could be more depressed, more lethargic, lacking motivation, feeling lonely...