Educators and advocates say many schoolchildren are still shouldering the burdens of the pandemic.
The rise in depression and anxiety among teenagers comes at a significant stage in their development.
When the pandemic shut down Florida schools last year, it was thought to be a short-term precaution to get the spread of the virus under control. So Maya, a 17-year-old student at Sarasota High School, reacted to the closure like a typical teenager. At first, it was actually kind of fun because it was something we ve never done before, she said.
But as weeks turned into months, Maya became very depressed. She couldn t see her friends, or go to work at her part-time job. And even though she s back in school now, the impact of long-term isolation has stayed with her.