ST. LOUIS (KMOV.com) — Missouri has seen a more than 100% spike in child behavioral health problems since the start of the pandemic.
According to the Missouri Hospital Association, child visits for obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, and stress disorders are up 104%. Visits for major depression are up by 62%, and visits for suicide attempts increased by 64%.
“Even probably more trouble is we had significant challenges to behavior health access prior to the pandemic, and so it’s abundantly clear that we’re going to have a behavioral health access crisis coming out of it,” Dave Dillon with the Missouri Hospital Association said.
Some signs parents should watch for in their kids include a lack of interest in activities they previously enjoyed, changes in mood, as well as loss of appetite or a change in eating patterns.
For life-threatening situation, you should call 911. If a child is having thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255. Click here for Missouri’s mental health resources for children.