I have been worried about the mental health status of the youth in America since the pandemic began. Let’s face it, many children and adolescents were struggling with diagnosed, or undiagnosed, mental health issues even before the Covid-19 pandemic began. So, of course the social isolation that has resulted from school shutdowns and social distancing measures have only made this crisis worse. This hit home for my local community this weekend due to the sudden suicide of our star student athlete. Despite a personal struggle with depression, he was still able to maintain an exceptional academic record, was being recruited to play football at the college level, and was adored by his classmates. Then Covid hit and his depression won. Our community lost. If this struggling teen, who had access to every resource available to support him, succumbed to his depression, what does this mean for youth with less resources?

As a pediatrician, I work with an underserved population on Chicago’s South Side. Most of these children attend CPS schools and have developmental, behavioral, and disability issues. Many do not have the home structure to support remote learning and due to their disabilities, many e-learning platforms as not compatible with their learning supports. Many of these children have not received any of their prescribed therapies per their IEPs, and some have just stopped attending school. For these children, school served as a place to foster appropriate social interaction, combat food insecurity with subsidized breakfasts and lunches, provided a safe place to partake in recreational activity, and a source of routine and daily structure. Without these benefits, all children, especially those with disabilities, are at increased risk of mental health struggles. The rates of anxiety, depression, and suicide in school-age children and teens is at an all-time high.

So, what can we do? As a country, we need to prioritize keeping our teachers safe as they move back into the classroom, allowing students to return to traditional in-person learning. Teachers need to get prioritized for getting Covid-19 vaccines. They are essential workers as they are educating future generations. In addition, Covid-19 vaccines have not yet been approved for use in children less than 16 years of age. Thus, vaccinating the adults to care for and teach these children is of utmost importance.

On a local level, individuals can get involved with organizations that support services to those in need. An organization that I am involved with in my community is CATCH:https://www.catchiscommunity.org/

Ultimately, it will be through crossing the lines of systems-based care to bring healthcare, education, and community organizations together, that we will be able to best provide care delivery to youth with disabilities. We have our work cut out for us in 2021!