Parents warned of young upheaval

FEELINGS of isolation have jumped dramatically during COVID- 19 for tweens, teens and young adults, sparking a watch alert as the age groups move to high schools, work and tertiary education.

New research reveals onethird of children aged 12-14 and half of those aged 18-21 say they feel disconnected.

The headspace research represents a rise of 10 per cent for the younger age group and 8 per cent for the 18-21-yearolds in the two years since the last survey.

The current survey was conducted between May 25 and June 21 last year, tapping into the views of more than 1000 young Australians.

Victorian youth endured many more weeks of lockdown after the survey.

The National Youth Mental Health Foundation’s executive director of clinical practice, Vikki Ryall, urged parents and carers to look out for children, tune into their needs and provide additional support.

“We can’t underestimate how the pandemic has and continues to impact all young people, but particularly those experiencing major shifts to their usual routine and moving to a new phase of life,” she said.

“We’re encouraging families to tune in to how their young person might be coping during this time.”

Ms Ryall said the transition times were high risk for young people, with the pandemic adding new complexity.

“It’s likely that 2020 caused major disruptions to their year, with these young people feeling disconnected from newly formed friendships or new ways of life,” she said.

While schools worked overtime to help students, lockdowns compromised support structures that schools, workplaces and further education had in place, leaving young people with fewer opportunities to access support.

She said planning and helping young people get organised would be helpful.

“Young people are resilient and with the right support can get through challenging periods in their lives,” she said.