The coronavirus pandemic has affected all people and spheres of society in many aspects. Restrictions and prohibitions caused by the spread of the disease have made an enormous contribution to the mental state of people who have become more likely to turn to specialists and search for information on dealing with stress on the Internet. In particular, COVID-19 affected the well-being of the younger generation, who increasingly began to experience negative emotions, which in some cases lead to suicidal thoughts. The study of the impact of the global pandemic on the mental state of adolescents and ways to combat them is of particular interest for this research paper. The impact of coronavirus on the younger generation of Canada was considered as the basis for the analysis of the problem.
Therefore, the central aspect that will be considered in this paper is the impact of coronavirus and related restrictions on the well-being of Canadian adolescents. People are worried about an impending emotional wellness crisis among children due to the declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic. Canada came in 31st place among the 38 top-buying countries in terms of success and 30th in overall health. However, “Canada’s ranking in terms of the suicide rates among young adults was 28th out of 35 countries,” which is a dissatisfactory factor (Worlds Apart: Canadian Summary). Each adolescent and young person’s mental well-being strategy needs to include life advancement and implosion avoidance training. UNICEF’s report showed that while the number of youngsters reporting issues at home has increased in several countries, Canada has seen no change (Where Does Canada Stand?). Further, funding school-based close to home health groups helps level the playing field regarding access to health care. The recognition in local close-to-home wellness settings may benefit from the aid of schools. Some schools provide assistance that enables most children to enter and “facilitate a holistic, collaborative framework including educators and health care providers within a secondary school setting” (Kutcher and Wei 92). This aspect can have significant positive results on the state of well-being of young adults.
The lack of interaction, social events, and isolation play a crucial role in causing distress among adolescents. Furthermore, the suicide rate in “Canada for individuals aged 20 to 24 years old reached 11.7 per 100,000” people in 2020 (Suicide rate in Canada para. 1). Suicide was among the top ten leading causes of death in Canada in 2019. The rising distress captured in the survey, done before COVID-19, has likely only worsened during the pandemic. Tracey (para. 3) underlines that “teens may feel like their feelings are unbearable and will never end, so the only way to escape is suicide.” The pandemic has weakened teen and children’s support networks. It causes children to feel neglected because they try to find ways to cope with the situation, such as drinking, smoking, and suicide.
COVID-19 has resulted in many stressors for teens due to the limited interactions with their peers and teachers. When in school, educators could have been more attentive and close with some students that needed extra support. For some of them, this was a big part of their academic life, and due to the pandemic has been affected. Sources say that “children and youth struggling with their mental health may display signs that caregivers can notice” (Brown para. 9). In addition, “boys are four times more likely to die from suicide than girls, and girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys” (Teen Suicide para. 3). Often, it is difficult to distinguish the difference in behavior between boys and girls, but low mood, lack of initiative and talkativeness, and isolation from everyone are common. Parents now have an even more significant role in assisting their children’s mental health. Therefore, “changes in eating, sleeping, and behaviors which last for many days or weeks may be a sign” (Brown para. 10). In addition, CBC reported that transformations in behavior could include “expressions of distress, disconnecting from loved ones, or acting out behaviors” (Brown para. 11). Parents, in turn, should turn to professionals to assist in working with children and providing recommendations.
In conclusion, this work aimed to study the impact of coronavirus and restrictions designed to prevent morbidity on the mental well-being of the adolescent population of Canada. Despite the fact that this country is characterized by good development in many areas, it is still faced with the problem of a reasonably large percentage of suicide cases. The studied sources also emphasized a decrease in psychological health indicators among the younger generation, which is expressed in an increased desire to isolate themselves from society and an increased level of stress. It is also noted that boys are more likely to commit suicidal acts than girls, which also raises concern not only for parents but also for the state as a whole. Therefore, it is necessary to develop programs to support adolescents and train parents and educators on how to recognize warning signs and help cope with them correctly.
Works Cited
Brown, Desmond. “Number of Youth in Hospital After Suicide Attempt Tripled Over 4-Month Period Under COVID-19.”CBC, 2021.
Kutcher, Stan, and Yifeng Wei. “Challenges and Solutions in the Implementation of the School-Based Pathway to Care Model: The Lessons from Nova Scotia and Beyond.” Canadian Journal of School Psychology, vol. 28, no. 1, 2013, 90-102.
”Suicide Rate in Canada by Age Group in 2020.”Statista, 2022.
“Teen Suicide.”John Hopkins Medicine, no date.
Tracy, Natasha. “Why Do Teens Commit Suicide? Causes of Teen Suicide.”Healthy Place, 2022.
“Where Does Canada Stand?” UNICEF Canada, 2019. Web.
“Worlds Apart: Canadian Summary of UNICEF Report Card 16.”UNICEF Canada, 2019.