Dr. Vivek Murthy, the U.S. Surgeon General, issued a new Surgeon General’s Advisory on child mental health on Tuesday, warning of a developing problem due to the coronavirus epidemic.

In the decade leading up to the pandemic, the situation began to escalate, but according to the surgeon general’s office, COVID-19 worsened conditions by limiting social interactions and access to vital health and social services among young people.

“Children, adolescents, and young adults face a wide range of mental health issues. Numerous young individuals have been affected by despair, suicidal ideation, and other symptoms of hopelessness prior to the outbreak of the pandemic “Murthy made the remarks in a statement released on Tuesday. “Further, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on the mental health of those who have been infected.”

According to preliminary data, the number of adolescent female emergency room visits for suicide attempts increased by 51% during COVID-19, whereas the number of adolescent male ER visits increased by 4% during the same time period.

During the pandemic, some children benefited from increased rest, exercise, and quality time with their families, but others were harmed.

According to the warning, “They missed first days of school, months or even years of in-person schooling, graduation ceremonies, sports competitions, playdates, and time with relatives,” “They and their family may no longer have access to mental health treatment, social assistance, or sources of income, nutrition, or shelter. A parent or grandparent caregiver may have died from COVID-19 in the United States by June 2021, affecting more than 140,000 children in the country, according to current estimates.

Adults had a tougher time detecting indicators of child abuse and mental health issues when COVID-19 restricted in-person interactions and juvenile services.

Additionally, “violence against Asian Americans,” “gun violence,” and a “increasingly polarized political dialogue” are cited as contributing factors to the predicted decline in youth mental health in 2020 and 2021, according to the warning.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 6,600 U.S. children ages 10 to 24 will take their own lives in 2020.

One in every five U.S. children aged 3 to 17 had mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral issues before COVID-19 was released, a CDC study found.

According to Murthy’s office, from 2009 to 2019, the number of students reporting feeling chronically depressed or hopeless rose by 40% to more than one-third of all pupils.

For high school students, the rate of suicide has risen by 36 percent since 2009, with 19 percent of teens contemplating suicide and 16 percent planning to commit suicide in 2018. Between 2007 and 2018, the rate of suicide among U.S. youth ages 10 to 24 increased by 57%.

Adults should recognize the importance of mental health in children’s overall well-being, the surgeon general’s office advises, and youth should be empowered to build strong relationships with adults and pay attention to social media and technology use. Children should have limited access to means of self-harm, quality health care should be available to them, and safe learning environments should be provided.