Megan Cole Brahim cites nearly 300 per cent rise in anxiety visits — Ctv News Atlantic
ctv news atlantic reports that a Harvard-led study found anxiety-related primary care visits among children and youth rose nearly 300 per cent over 10 years by 2023. Megan Cole Brahim said the increase was especially concentrated in teens, especially female teens.
By 2023, the study found 15 percent, or one in seven, primary care visits included a mental health need. The research covered two million children and youth from 2014 to 2023 and was done with Boston University and the Boston Medical Center.
Megan Cole Brahim on the rise
Brahim, an associate professor and division director at Harvard Medical School Department of Population Medicine, said the most notable change was the jump in anxiety-related visits. She tied the increase to exposure to social media, constant access to screens and digital technology, heightened academic pressures, competitive pressures, and disruptions during the pandemic.
She also said screening has increased at the same time. That means part of the rise may reflect more young people being identified in primary care, alongside a larger underlying need.
Michael Cooper on youth need
Michael Cooper, vice president of Mental Health Research Canada Data and Partnerships, said approximately 20 to 25 percent of young people are diagnosed with a mental health condition at any given time. He said there are about 1.25 million youth in Canada aged 12 to 24 who are struggling with their mental health, and about 60 percent are not getting the help they need.
“One in four, or one in five – approximately between 20 to 25 percent of young people – are diagnosed with a mental health condition at any given time. But with mental health a lot of times it’s not curing that, it’s treating it as a lifelong challenge,” Cooper said.
Julie Cass and family stress
Julie Cass said parents are under more stress and that stress is carrying into homes. “The first thing is as parents we are more stressed out. Our home environments are more stressed out; kids absorb that energy. In fact, they absorb energy more than they absorb words, so they feel that,” she said.
Cass said research shows a direct correlation between increased screen time and anxiety levels. She added, “I find it very interesting that anxiety is on the rise and we have a generation of children that are more connected through technology and less connected emotionally and I don’t think we can ignore that.”
Gabby Scollard’s book
Gabby Scollard, 23, said she struggled with depression and anxiety during childhood and her high school years. She said she wrote her first book, “Why I stay, 365 reasons to stay alive when your mind is giving you every reason not to.”
Her account shows how the numbers in the Harvard study reach into daily life for families already dealing with anxiety at home and in school.
