We see the children struggling
Dear Reader, A few weeks ago, I wrote to you about the stresses associated with the COVID pandemic, and how that dove-tailed with an ongoing reporting project MLive has devoted to the issue of mental health in Michigan.
This past week, we delivered more of this vital reporting, with a focus on the psychological and emotional toll the year-long crisis has had on children in Michigan. While we wrote primarily about increases in anxiety, depression, fatigue and learning loss in children, the series also examined the toll on parents, families and teachers.
And the most affecting stories came in the words of those people, themselves, in the form of video testimonials on the effects of lockdown, distance learning, and social distance over the long haul.
“We've heard from so many families, from primary to secondary schools to colleges, talking about how helpless they feel. They see their children struggling,” said Monica Scott, an MLive news manager in Grand Rapids who helped guide this reporting project. “They see the family is struggling as a whole, and they're not able to do anything – because the pandemic is still ongoing.”
That’s one of the hardest parts: There is a crisis, but no finish line. And while there is evidence of the damage being caused to mental health and to educational attainment, there is no fix-all solution. Scott and the co-editor on this past week’s project, Leanne Smith, a news manager in Ann Arbor, discuss the breadth of the problem in this week’s “Behind the Headlines” podcast. They also work together to coordinate school stories across the state and package content in our Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter – sign up here.
“We are constantly hearing from parents who are literally at the end of their rope with virtual learning, having to juggle their own jobs with their kids’ education,” Smith said. “The thing that stood out to me with the testimonials, was how raw they were. It gave me chills.”
A recent survey in Rockford schools, near Grand Rapids, showed that 15 percent of 10th through 12th graders say they're having feelings of anxiety, and 9 percent reported an increase in feelings of depression.
Some of the causes stated in the video interviews we conducted were a lack of social connection, and some of it was boredom with virtual learning.
“They’re just really done with not being in a classroom, or being on a sports team or band,” Smith said. “They seemed grateful that our reporters reached out to them to ask them how they’re doing.”
But what also resonated among students and teachers alike was the sense of frustration over trying to learn and achieve in isolation.
“I hear that a lot from teachers – that don’t feel like they're able to help students perform and master concepts, virtually, in a way that they could if they were face to face,” Scott said.
Every crisis needs some rays of hope, and some are peeking through the clouds: Vaccinations are ramping up among teachers and across society; infection rates are falling; Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s proposed budget includes $250 million for student well-being and academic recovery; and more schools are starting to have students return for in-person learning.
But the road back will have detours, and the long-term effects will not be known for some time.
“I don't think anyone's come up with a solution, not in Michigan or across the country, in terms of how to fill this huge learning void kids have been in,” Scott said. “Kids have really been harmed by this pandemic.”
And that’s why MLive will continue to report on not only the toll, but what is being done to address it.
If you are feeling overwhelmed from COVID and would like to access mental health services, visit this resource site offered by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, or call 1-888-535-6136 and press “8.”
🎧 To hear this week's episode of John Hiner's Behind the Headlines podcast, click here. To hear all the stories behind the stories, click here and subscribe to our Behind the Headlines podcast.
Editor's note: I value your feedback to my columns, story tips and your suggestions on how to improve our coverage. Let me know how MLive helps you, and how we can do better. Please feel free to reach out by emailing me at editor@mlive.com.
John Hiner Executive Editor Vice President of Content Mlive Media Group
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