NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — A recent CDC study shows more than 1 in 3 high school students experienced poor mental health during the pandemic.
Joanne Klysen, a counseling supervisor at Foundations Health and Wholeness, says the transition back to in-person learning was also difficult for some high school students.
“They finished before COVID their middle school years, and then entered into high school all virtually, and then returned to school, didn’t have that normal transition that we see… so a lot of anxiety with those kids,” Klysen said.
Klysen says Foundations has seen an influx in school-based referrals in both children and teenagers.
She says Foundations has also noticed an increase in both depression and anxiety in teens.
The Neenah Joint School District sent a survey to students about depression at the beginning of the year.
“What we were finding actually was there was either no difference or actually less depression and suicide, at least early on this year. Which really kind of surprised us a bit. Because we were seeing kids who were struggling a lot. So I think what happened was those kids who had resources continued to either do well or well enough. And those kids who were struggling before the pandemic struggled even more,” Neenah schools mental health coordinator Michael Altekruse said.
Among a small group of the student body, Altekruse says the district saw more fights, and more severe mental health issues.
He says the district is working on reconnecting with students.
“Reconnect with them, get their relationships with each other, and get relationships with the adults in the classroom and in the schools,” Altekruse said.
Altekruse says he thinks we’ll see how the pandemic impacted students for a long time, even after they graduate.
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