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Manatee County students battle with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Bradenton Herald - 7/17/2021

Jul. 17—MANATEE — The COVID-19 pandemic — and all of the ensuing fear, uncertainty and loss — challenged the mental fortitude of students in Manatee County.

And though it had widespread effects, the virus placed an especially heavy burden on children who battled with mental health before the pandemic, which ushered in a period of confusion and isolation.

"As human beings we all desire some predictability," said Melissa Larkin-Skinner, the regional chief executive officer for Centerstone health services. "Much has been said about it, but the past year — even now — there's still some things that are very uncertain."

Centerstone recorded a 15% increase in admissions to the children's Crisis Stabilization Unit between 2020 and 2021, as COVID forced local schools and social activities to either shut down or reconfigure.

Seemingly overnight, the pandemic forced children to interact from behind a computer screen or from a distance of 6 feet apart. And many of those children, she said, were grappling with social unrest that predated COVID-19.

According to Centerstone's data from the first two quarters of each year, there were:

— 291 admissions to the children's crisis unit in 2019.

— 330 admissions in 2020, when the United States reported its first COVID-19 case.

— 380 admissions in 2021, after a year of life during the pandemic.

While the data shows an uptick after COVID emerged, it also shows that a growing number of Manatee County children faced mental crises before the pandemic.

Children's mental health has been an area of concern for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic, Larkin-Skinner said, has only made the concerns more dire.

"Over the past several months, one of the things we've seen is an increase in suicidal ideation among young kids, teenagers and such," she said.

The same was true at Suncoast Behavioral Health Center in Bradenton, an acute psychiatric facility on 51st Street West. The center compared data from the same time period in 2020 and 2021.

And without offering specific numbers, the group CEO, Bill Jordan, said that calls, referrals and admissions increased among children between the ages of 12 and 17.

"We also saw an increase in calls for depression and suicidal ideation," Jordan said in a prepared statement.

The concerns and unknowns

Students of all ages faced the fear of catching a novel virus, the pain of losing a family member or the stress of falling behind in school.

And mixed, often extreme messages added to children's distress, Larkin-Skinner said. While some adults carried a doom-and-gloom attitude throughout the past year, others completely discounted the pandemic and its risks.

They argued over polarizing topics, such as mask mandates and vaccine efficacy, catching kids in the crossfire. Meanwhile, the oldest students in Manatee County missed out on prom and traditional graduations — life milestones that can never be recreated.

"I'm sure that, to kids, it felt like the world was just out of control and you didn't know where to turn, who to trust, who to believe," Larkin-Skinner said.

And though experts saw an impact on Manatee County's most vulnerable children, the long-term implications for local youth were still unclear.

Larkin-Skinner said it was important to learn from the pandemic and to better prepare children for life's challenges. Teaching resilience — the ability to face challenges, make healthy decisions and avoid harm — would help local youth beyond COVID-19.

It was also vital that Centerstone and the School District of Manatee County continue their existing partnership, offering students in-school therapy and referrals to outside services, Larkin-Skinner continued.

Through their partnership, Centerstone puts registered interns in local schools, meaning interns who achieved a master's degree and are now completing two years of clinical service to become a licensed mental health counselor.

And over the past several years, Centerstone has added more staff and helped more students, the school district reported:

— In the 2018-19 school year, a dozen master's level interns worked with 712 students.

— In the 2019-20 school year, a dozen master's level interns worked with 634 students.

— In the 2020-21 school year, 15 master's level interns worked with 766 students.

"I can't predict what's going to happen or what it's going to be like," Larkin-Skinner said of the new school year. "We just want to be there because we know they're going to need support."

A series of tragedies

When students return to campus on Aug. 10, some for the first time in over a year, the experience may be overwhelming.

But after years of increased attention to students' mental health in Florida, local schools have more tools to address issues born out of the pandemic, said Nicole Cox, the director of exceptional student education for Manatee County's public schools.

"We've already got the mental health supports in place for the kids that are struggling through the pandemic because of what happened in Parkland," she said.

On Valentine's Day in 2018, a gunman killed 17 people and injured 17 others at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The massacre inspired new laws that aim to prevent another tragedy, including mandated mental health training for all school employees.

The School District of Manatee County has since trained thousands of elementary, middle and high school staff, along with school psychologists, nurses, bus drivers, cafeteria workers and custodians, Cox said.

Throughout the training, district employees learn how to spot emotional disturbances or substance abuse, and how to link the affected students with help.

And though the Parkland shooting served as a catalyst for change, mental health has long been an issue among the state's youth, according to a survey by the Florida Department of Education and the state Department of Health.

Student responses to the Youth Risk Behavior Survey grew more concerning between 2009 and 2019. The percentages of students who:

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Felt sad or hopeless increased from 26.3% to 33.7%.

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Seriously considered suicide increased from 11.6% to 15.6%.

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Made a suicide plan increased from 9.4% to 11.8%.

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Purposefully hurt themselves increased from 13.9% to 15.8%.

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Attempted suicide increased from 6.5% to 7.9%.

Pointing to the need for more support, the state education department announced in 2019 that all schools would have to provide an education on mental health to students.

The mandated five hours of instruction is for students in middle and high school. It touches on the signs of mental illness, the resources available to students, the process for seeking help, and "what to do or say" when a classmate is struggling.

That training was especially important after a yearlong pandemic, but to what extent? Cox said the answer would become more clear as students return to school in August.

"We've seen some increase," she said, referencing mental health issues in the past school year. "I wouldn't say that it's been dramatic. I would expect, maybe, to see more of that in the new year because many of the kids remained on virtual learning all of last year."

New services on the way

Despite the push for more resilient students in Florida, there was an ever-present need for additional mental health resources in schools.

For that reason, the Manatee County school district is negotiating with Palm Shores Behavioral Health Center to bring approximately three clinical therapists or master's level interns into local schools, said Cox, the district ESE director.

After negotiations with the school district, Palm Shores will add to the support provided by school counselors, social workers and Centerstone therapists.

The school district also applied for a state grant to purchase iPads and training for its school psychologists and social workers, making them certified virtual providers. The program, Cox said, will help school staff to better connect with students who need help from home.

Virtual therapy may prove especially helpful in the new school year, when COVID-19 is all but guaranteed to send some students into quarantine.

"If there's any reason they can't be in the school setting but they need some therapy, it gives us the tools to provide that," the ESE director said.

Need help? Try these resources

There are numerous hotlines for children and adults in a crisis, including those considering suicide. In the event of an emergency, call 911.

Other resources include:

Hope for Healing Florida: Visit hopeforhealingfl.com for local mental health and substance abuse help, along with a database of more than 1,000 local organizations that provide help with food, transportation, housing and other social services.

National Alliance on Mental Illness: Visit namisarasotamanatee.org for support groups, crisis resources, educational opportunities and a calendar of local events.

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255), a 24-7 hotline for anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress.

Crisis Text Line: Send the message "Home" to 741741 or visit crisistextline.org for free, 24-7 crisis counseling.

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