I KIDS
HELPING
COPE
SCHOOL CHANGES CAN UP ANXIETY FOR STUDENTS by CHERYL L. SERRA photo by TERAH WILSON
16
WILMA
SEPTEMBER 2020
f COVID-19 has tested adults’ mettle, what has it meant for area students, many of whom will be starting their school year as they ended it – remotely? ANGELA SMITH, a licensed clinical social worker, says most of the children and adolescent patients she has been helping this year have shown increased anxiety due to COVID. “Children are struggling with loss of social activities such as sports, music, arts, and group work that is so important to many of them,” says Smith (above), who is with Anchor Psychological & Counseling Services, which has offices in Wilmington and Hampstead and specializes in trauma-based services. “They are struggling also with having to have parents play a different role in their lives. Some children have issues going on at home and would use school as an escape,” she adds. Smith says she worries about children who are in abusive homes who are not being seen by teachers or social workers in their schools.
ASHLEY TROTTER is a licensed clinical mental health counselor and owner of Reclaim Counseling & Wellness, a Wilmington group practice that specializes in treating a wide range of mental health, behavioral, and family issues. Like Smith, she’s seen a spike in referrals due to issues with the pandemic, but she also notes the practice has been seeing an increase in referrals for years for children and teens, particularly those who are school-aged, suffering from anxiety and depression. “We have also seen some of our clients who had made significant progress call back and report increased symptoms related to anxiety and depression over the last few months,” she says. “Parents are reporting concerns related to behavioral changes, somatic symptoms of anxiety, sleep changes, and generalized anxiety symptoms in children. Families are reporting stress in managing school assignments, child care, financial worries, and overall worries related to staying well. “We have also seen a spike in a request for marriage counseling. Families are feeling stress on many levels. This often
