Page 15 - Silver Linings Issue2

An Epidemic within the Pandemic
Bartolomeo says there was a mental health crisis among adolescents even before COVID-19 and the various stressors associated with the pandemic has made things worse. He calls it an epidemic among a pandemic.
“COVID has exacerbated mental health problems among adolescents. If someone had a high baseline of anxiety, their
anxiety has gone up,” Bartolomeo says. “The same is true for depression. Isolation exacerbates both because we
are hardwired to connect to other human beings. Not being able to be around other human beings has
caused a lot of problems for us.”
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported that one in four emerging adults have
thought about suicide during COVID. Adolescent patients at Silver Hill have talked about the lack
of structure impacting their mental health, Bartolomeo says.
“A lot of structure in these kids’ lives has been turned upside down,” he says. “Then
there are all these embedded losses among COVID, the loss of normality
during what are supposed to be some of your key years – the loss of prom and sporting events, for example. Student athletes are losing scholarships. For college kids, exchange programs have
been canceled, there are no football games or parties. They feel like the rug
keeps getting pulled out from underneath them. The ground doesn’t feel firm.”
Virtual connection has helped, Bartolomeo says, but it cannot replace in-person
interaction. “Wearemeanttobeconnected,” Bartolomeo says. “When we are isolated, we 15
are off. All these things lead to frustration.”
SILVER LININGS MAGAZINE | ISSUE TWO | 2021