According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental health-related doctors鈥 visits for kids between the ages of 12 and 17 have jumped by almost a third during the pandemic. Social isolation is one reason for the uptick, says Lorena Ornelas, MA, LCSW, manager of social work services for CHEE鈥檚 Community-Based Practices team 鈥 but there are other reasons, too.
鈥淜ids are missing their friends, absolutely,鈥 Ornelas says. 鈥淏ut there鈥檚 also a lot of insecurity around social determinants of health: maybe their parents are unemployed, there鈥檚 not enough food, parents are struggling with navigating the technology for virtual school.鈥 Some families have even had to rehome beloved pets because they can鈥檛 afford to feed them, which removes a valuable source of emotional support.
Young people and their families can get mental health support through Rush鈥檚 Adolescent Family Center (AFC) and School-Based Health Centers (SBHCs) on the West Side. These health centers offer primary care, sexual and reproductive health care and mental health support services for West Side youth.
Rush social workers offer mental health assessments and counseling in English and Spanish for young people ages 12 to 25 and can bring the whole family together for counseling sessions if needed. Appointments can happen in person, online or on the phone. And priority is given to families on the West Side, as well as families that use Medicaid or don鈥檛 have health insurance.
To help alleviate household stress, the team also connects families with resources for immediate needs like free, healthy food; paying utility bills; finding housing; enrolling in health insurance; connecting with a primary care doctor and more.
鈥淭he pandemic is making it a scary time to be in the world,鈥 Ornelas says, 鈥渂ut it鈥檚 also a special time, because we鈥檙e able to spend more time with each other. Most of all, we adults should remember that we were kids too ... but not during a pandemic, so let鈥檚 cut kids some slack.鈥
If you鈥檇 like more information about Rush鈥檚 health centers or want to make an appointment:
- Please call (312) 942-2777
or
- Contact one of the SBHCs:
Recommended Resources
Ornelas recommends the following for trustworthy information about kids鈥 and teens鈥 mental health:
- 鈥 including a symptom checker
- 鈥 incluyendo una chequeo de s铆ntomas
