THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Reactions to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 have caused a great many changes to daily life in recent days. One group particularly affected by these changes is high school students. They are facing challenges this year that have never happened before on this scale.

HOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY SCHOOL CLOSURES

School provides structure and routine to the lives of students. Following the routine of getting up at a certain time, going to classes at specific times and coming home at a certain time provides a sense of normalcy in their lives. The predictability of knowing that third period math class follows second period history class allows students’ brains to focus on academic content. Expectations for behavior and academic performance are known and familiar.

When schools closed earlier this month students lost this structure and routine. Many were sent home with packets of assignments to complete but it is up to them to decide when and in what order they will do the assignments. At first, this greater amount of freedom and choice feels good – “Finally I get to decide what I want to do!” In short time though, it is easy to fall behind, to be distracted by other more desirable options (Netflix, video games, social media), or to become bored.

For most students school isn’t just about academics, it is also about social interactions. Many friendships started by sitting next to each other in class. The highlight of a student’s day might be walking down a certain hallway between fifth and sixth period because that’s when she can reliably expect to see the person she has a crush on. Groups of friends eat lunch together every day. Through their interactions with teachers and other school personnel young people learn to interact with non-family authority figures. In the hallways and classrooms of their school, young people are exposed to a variety of different cultures, perspectives and ways of living that may be different than their own.

Extracurricular activities were also affected by school closures. Many students enjoy participating in sports, music, school plays, robotics and a variety of other activities. Participation in these activities helps students to be more attractive applicants to colleges, universities and future employers. More importantly though, participation in these activities is an important part of students’ identities. They provide a “tribe” of others with whom a common interest and skill set is shared.

PARTICULAR STRESSORS FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Senior year is typically the high point of a student’s high school career. Seniors this year are worried about being able to graduate. They’re worried about being able to qualify and be fully prepared for college admission. They’re aware that many colleges and universities that have shut down and wonder how this will affect their own future plans.

If schools remain closed for the rest of the spring, students in their senior year will likely forfeit their last shot at a championship sports season, miss their last chance to perform with the choir or never get to perform in the play they’ve been rehearsing for so long.

Seniors also face the possibility of missing out on milestone experiences including attending the senior prom and walking across the stage at commencement ceremonies.

HOW HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY OTHER CLOSURES

Many adolescents have jobs at local restaurants, stores, movie theaters, gyms or other businesses that have closed, reduced the services being offered or reduced their hours of operation. The young people working at these establishments count on their pay checks to help with household expenses, to pay for things that are important to themselves (e.g. clothes, music, activities), to provide for transportation (e.g. gas, car insurance, car payments), or to save for college or other future endeavors. If their parent(s) or other members of their family have lost jobs or income due to closures, the student may feel even more stress over losing their ability to contribute to the family’s financial situation.

FEAR AND ANXIETY REACTIONS

One the most stressful aspects of the current situation is not knowing. We don’t know who has been or will be infected. We don’t know who might be a carrier, spreading the virus to others without even knowing it. We don’t know when schools and businesses will re-open. We don’t know what the long-term effects of this pandemic will be.

Facing so many unknowns heightens anxiety. Some amount of fear and worry is a normal reaction to this abnormal situation. If a person’s anxiety is so intense that it is disrupting the person’s ability to concentrate on other things, interferes with the person’s ability to sleep at night or causes the person to avoid engaging in the things that he or she needs to do, it may be necessary to seek help.

MORE FAMILY TIME

The first thing everyone should do, regardless of age, is to maintain good self-care.

Eat good food. Sure it’s nice to indulge in a treat once in a while, but keep in mind that human bodies and minds work better and feel better when they’re being fuelled by healthy, nutritious meals.

Get enough sleep. When we’re tired we are more vulnerable to irritants, anxiety and depression. It is hard to learn, listen, concentrate and solve problems when we’re sleep deprived. Without enough sleep, we are likely to have problems with memory, coordination and patience. It becomes harder to regulate our bodies, our attention and our emotions. Human bodies naturally prefer to operate on a regular, stable cycle of sleeping and being awake. That’s why it is important to set and stick to regular bed and wake up times. According to The National Sleep Foundation, research has shown that teenagers need 8-10 hours of sleep a night.

Exercise. There are lots of options for staying active while following guidelines for social distancing. It isn’t hard to find online videos for traditional workout routines as well as yoga, dancing and martial arts. Going for a short walk or run outside provides a change of scenery and fresh air as well as exercise. A way to make exercising fun is to turn on whatever music you enjoy and dance around for a few minutes.

Be a smart consumer of information. There is no shortage of information available online, on TV, on social media and on the radio. Make sure you are getting your information from credible sources. Take everything else with a good dose of caution and skepticism.

The need for social connection is fundamental for humans. In times of stress we need support and interaction with friends and family.

Technology like texting, messaging apps, email and phones allow us to keep in touch with others without having to be face-to-face. Teens are already familiar with these forms of communication and have been using them for some time.
Make a point to reach out to others who may be isolated or unsupported in their current environment.
Parents, this is not a good time to ground teens from their phones and/or computers for more than one day at a time. It is completely appropriate to set limits on how much time your teen spends on their devices. It is also appropriate to restrict use of technology for social purposes to certain times of the day or to require that a certain amount of academic work be completed before technology may be used for social purposes. It is also good to model the types of self-control you wish to see from your teen.
Pay attention to the effect social interactions have on you. If you notice that your interactions with someone leave you feeling more anxious, angry, worried, frightened or bad about yourself, consider limiting or suspending your interactions with that person.

Actively look for positives in every day

Pay attention to stories about people being kind, helpful or supportive to each other. These things are happening and news about them is out there.
Identify something that you enjoyed or found to be beautiful.
Practice gratitude. In times like these, it is easy to get worn down by all the things that we are missing out on or can’t do. A powerful way to counter this is by intentionally taking time to appreciate the things, people, abilities and opportunities that we do have.

Avoid jumping to conclusions. There is so much that isn’t known and we all have to wait to see what happens.

Teens who are feeling healthy and energetic may assume that they have not been exposed to the virus. They also may have heard that the virus is unlikely to be deadly to people their age. This doesn’t mean it is Okay to ignore safety precautions. It is possible to be infected and not show any symptoms. If you are one of these people, you won’t know it but you could spread it to others. That’s why it is important to take precautions like washing hands, disinfecting surfaces, and social distancing even if you don’t think you are infected.
This situation is affecting the whole country. Colleges, universities and employers are going to be aware and understand.
You don’t have to figure out how to solve this situation. School administrators are working on plans to help students complete their education and be able to graduate. We don’t know yet what form it will take, but rest assured that they will figure something out.

If you or if you know of anyone experiencing anxiety during this health situation, please call C&A at 330-433-6075. C&A's Trauma Therapy Program Manager Mary Kreitz is the author of this post.

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STARK COUNTY SCHOOLS MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS

16 Apr, 2024

The sixth annual Stark County Schools Mental Health Awareness Week is May 6-10 Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), CommQuest Services and Pathway Caring for Children will partner to bring positive mental health awareness to more than 53,000 students and 7,000 support and administrative staff in all 18 Stark County School districts.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY: CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS’ EXPERIENCES

By Chris Alpert • 16 Nov, 2023

In the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? as introduced and explored in first of this three-part blog post series, the participants engaged in multiple workshops that address race and racism. Interpersonally, the group of students grapple with their own differences and similarities, which impact the content and emotions they share with each other. There are several moments in the film that demonstrate the clear differences in the participants’ understanding of race. In the first workshop, the students were exposed to the idea that all white people are inherently racist seeing as American society was founded on principles meant to support white people (see more on structural racism here, here, and here for further understanding). Several white students in the film became emotional during that workshop. Most students remained quiet. Following this workshop, a black student and a white student were filmed independently of each other in their own homes and discussed the workshop and what they learned with their families. The white student discussed the differences between structural racism and bigotry with her mother and struggled to identify with the principles taught in the training. The black student stated to his mother how almost everything spoken in that workshop applied to him. The student further discussed his feelings by stating how overt racism is and yet how “subliminal” it is at the same time. How can something be so in your face and yet under your feet simultaneously? I immediately reflected on the dialectic of something being so clear and yet so vague. The film continued to grapple with student differences. At the beginning of the film, one white male student discussed with his mother how he feels that all individuals, if they apply themselves wholeheartedly, have the same chance of success regardless of their skin, gender, sexuality or other demographic factors. As a white man myself, I must confess that when I was in high school, I had the same mindset. How could it be different? Especially when I was reading mythic bootstrap literature in high school classes. Sure, the harder you work the more you deserve, but that statement does not work for all Americans. I had not accounted for racial factors that inhibit the growth of others, not to mention socio-economic factors, nationalities, citizenship status, gender and age. I continued to reflect on these statements and connected them to my experience in high school in New York City. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement responding to the murder of George Floyd, multiple private progressive schools in New York, including the one I went to, suffered scrutiny from students and alumni who identify as black, indigenous people of color (BIPOC). Multiple Instagram accounts surfaced with the handle “BLACK AT [school name].” I read the posts in 2020, and again before writing this post, and remembered feeling horrified knowing these acts of racism, bigotry and microaggressions happened all around me. This was subliminal to me, yet overt to others.

UNDERSTANDING RACE IN SOCIETY AND THERAPY

By Chris Alpert • 01 Nov, 2023

When I first came to Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A), I was unsure what to expect regarding race and diversity at both the organization and in Ohio. Having grown up in Harlem in New York City and attended graduate school in San Diego, CA, I had heard stereotypes about Ohio, specifically that Ohio was a very white state. At C&A during orientation, we discussed the role of first impressions for clients and discussed how the front desk staff are considered, “the directors of first impressions.” I loved this term. After orientation, I wondered, why we didn’t discuss demographic factors such as race and gender? We generally pick those up upon first impressions and have implicit biases and judgements in those first impressions. It was odd to me that we did not discuss these demographic factors. As the summer and fall progressed, I noticed that there were few discussions about race as it impacts C&A and the kids and families we serve. I noticed the number of white staff at C&A and reflected on my own privilege as a white man who can easily avoid the discussion of race because I do not suffer discrimination on an individual or systemic level. I reflected on my first experiences discussing race in high school. When I was in high school at the Calhoun School, my father received a grant to create a film and workshops that addressed race and racism seen through the eyes of high schoolers in New York City. My dad had completed a training hosted by the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond. This training opened my father’s eyes to his own white privilege and motivated him to teach kids, specifically white kids, about their privilege earlier in life. I first saw the film, I’m Not Racist… Am I? (see more here ), toward the end of high school after it had come out in 2014.

THE DANGERS OF MARIJUANA USE

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 20 Oct, 2023

Ohio is at a crossroads once again with marijuana on the ballot next month. The following article is from Every Brain Matters, an organization that believes that the THC in marijuana is a dangerous and addictive drug. Every Brain Matters is a trusted source of educational material based on the latest scientific evidence. One of the major criticisms of expanded marijuana legalization is that it makes the drug more accessible to minors. A brand-new study just published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that it has become a valid concern.

LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE – SOUTHERN NIGHTS: ILLUMINATING HOPE AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS FOR THE YOUNGER GENERATION

By Savannah Okray • 11 Sep, 2023

For the last few months, C&A has been diligently preparing for the 18th Annual Let Your Light Shine – Southern Nights presented by The Repository by organizing auction items, printing tickets and using their creativity to make sure that eventgoers feel as though they are walking into an evening in the south, with barrels and lanterns to boot. The committee, led by chair Jen Frey and co-chair Molly Sperling and auction chair Stacy Remark are hard at work, it’s crucial to remember that this event raises awareness and dollars to support the agency’s programs and services amid suicide prevention and awareness month.

GROWING WITH YOUR CHILD AS A PARENT

By Dan Mucci • 30 Aug, 2023

I have grown up as a parent for the last four and half years! As luck would have it, a little more than four and a half years ago, I started at Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health (C&A) in the mission advancement department with my responsibilities being the marketing and development coordinator. Some might say, I did a good job of raising my two kids, who were teenagers at the time. But, boy, if I had known of the services C&A offered and even some of the parenting tools for my toolbox, parenting might have been even better.

WHAT DID YOU DID THIS SUMMER?

By Dr. Karita Nussbaum • 09 Aug, 2023

This summer I attended a Marijuana Prevention conference near Denver, Colorado. I was curious to know what the locals were saying after 10 years of legalization. The speakers included a Denver Police Commander, school resource officer, medical doctor, residential treatment program CEO, deputy from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Executive Director of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association and others related to educating the community and defending children’s rights. In the audience were parents, professionals and advocates for children from all over the United States. The conference was geared toward the protection of children.

FROM DARKNESS TO DISCOVERY: MY COLLEGE JOURNEY OF SELF-TRANSFORMATION

By Savannah Okray • 24 Jul, 2023

When I arrived on campus, I tried to immerse myself in college culture. I joined a sorority, the speech and debate team, and two other clubs which were extensive time commitments, factoring in no time to relax or focus on bettering my mental health. This lack of attention to my mentality, combined with my low self-esteem that prevented me from making friends led me down a dark hole in which some days I thought it would be better if I wasn’t here. About four weeks into school (at Ohio University), I realized that I had to do something, as I knew it was not safe for me to continue down the road I had been on. From there I moved home and attended an inpatient treatment center where I worked with counselors for five hours a day, learning coping skills and other ways in which I could help mend my suffering mental health. Through the lessons I learned I was able to get the skill set and help I needed and returned to school three weeks later.

THIS IS WHY WE CELEBATE

By Mary Kreitz • 19 Jun, 2023

This time of year there are a lot of celebrations happening in our communities – Memorial Day, Pride Festivals, Juneteenth celebrations, 4th of July and many more. These events aren’t just frivolous excuses to have parties, backyard barbecues or festivals. They are important cultural and civic events we need these celebrations.