As the pandemic rages on, it would seem that more children across the United States are grappling with mental health issues. Hospital reports show that there is an increasing number of kids who fall into depression, with a number of them even entertaining suicidal thoughts.

A US News and World Report revealed harrowing experiences of parents who see their children going through severe depression or even making an attempt at suicide.

Fifteen-year-old Krissy Williams had tried to commit suicide before but she has not tried to do it using pills. In her latest attempt, she stood on the deck and downed a bottle of pain medication, all within sight of her mother, Patricia Williams.

Based on the narrative, Krissy was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of nine. Accordingly, those who suffer from mental illness would experience delusions and hallucinations. These were all managed with the help of the services that were offered in school and also at home. However, the pandemic, caused the girl to lose contact with her set of friends, as well as the support that she once got from school. Despite having suffered from brain damage due to the overdose, Krissy is now home and in good spirits, relying on virtual platforms for mental health services.

The case of Williams is just one. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that there was a 24 percent increase in children who arrived at the emergency department who had mental health issues. The period concerned was from the middle of March up to the middle of October. The report also stated that some hospitals noted that there was also an increasing number of children who are attempting overdose.

Jason Williams, director of operations of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute at the Children's Hospital Colorado said that it would only be a matter of time before the service system will be overwhelmed with the needs of kids dealing with mental health issues. The present numbers, for Williams, is just the tip of the iceberg.

Depressed Children Depressed Children
More children are depressed. Photo: Pixabay

The National Survey of Children's Health revealed that before the pandemic, there were already more than eight million children between three and 17, who had a diagnosis of a behavioral or mental health condition. The CDC, in another survey, also noted that when they compared data between 2009 and 2019, they found that there was a 40 percent increase of students who said they always feel hopeless and sad.