MONROE, La. (KNOE) – May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and experts say thousands of children in the region are dealing with anxiety.
In younger children, experts say troubles sleeping and a fear of being away from parents can be warning signs. In older children, social isolation is one of the main signs of mental health issues.
Recent CDC data shows that 40 percent of high school students feel so sad or hopeless they stopped their usual activities.
Emily Jones with the Center for Children & Families said social media exposure is starting at younger ages.
“The exposure to social media is getting younger and younger. There are kids that are 10 years old that have Instagrams, TikToks, Snapchats,” Jones said.
Kirby Johnson with the Center for Children & Families said anxiety has increased with social media exposure.
“We do see a lot of anxiety and that has upticked with increased exposure to social media and all the other things kids are being exposed to,” Johnson said.
The CDC also says children with more than four hours of phone screen time are two times more likely to report anxiety and depression.
Most of the Center for Children & Families’ services are available at no cost for children aged 0 to 18 with Medicaid.
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