Mental health in teens has been a topic of discussion for the past several years. Teen suicide rates have risen during COVID-19 and the uproar of mental health avocation. Teens struggle, Men struggle, Women struggle, everyone struggles. We need outlets to talk about mental health whether it is talking to a friend, family, or even a counselor we all struggle.  

 I talked to some of the counselors located at Pasco High to talk about teen mental health.  The first counselor I had the opportunity to meet with was Jessica Quintero. She has been a counselor at Pasco High for over 5 years. Mental health after COVID had an uproar in conversation. During our talk about mental health and the change after COVID-19. She stated “Yes, I noticed a drastic change in mental health after Covid. So much so, that there were not enough mental health resources in the area. Many places were not taking in new patients, or the waiting time was months.” Many people are having to wait weeks to months to talk about their struggles. Having to wait this long is not always a good thing, especially depending on the type of mental health struggles seen in today’s world. COVID-19 also affected not only mental health but the way students function in a school setting. She mentioned “Yes, I have. I cannot say there is one reason this was, but rather multiple factors that played into this. There was anxiety with returning, loss of motivation, and students needing to relearn the daily routine of school.” Students have had to relearn how to function in a normal school environment without restrictions such as masks, zooms, and social distancing. We, students, have had to learn how to become functioning adults quicker than students pre-COVID because we did not have the time in high school to branch out. Our understanding of high school was drastically shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of us began to feel the isolation that came along with being locked at home.  

We all struggle. There is a way to deal with mental health whether it is talking with a mental health professional or using activities to reduce the level of stress. Mental health is something that increased people are struggling with. There is also a rise in the discussion of mental health and knowing it is okay not to be okay. If you ever struggle with suicidal thoughts or actions reach out to the suicide hotline at 998.