The psychological challenge brought on by the coronavirus crisis has hit adults, teenagers, and children indiscriminately. That said, there is no doubt that it is adolescents who have experienced this crisis in the most difficult way, and its grave ramifications on them are of great concern to parents and of course, educators and welfare personnel.
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A recent report by the Elem-Youth in Distress NGO revealed the deterioration in the emotional and physical state of adolescents during the pandemic and presents a sharp rise in violent incidents, and the use of drugs and alcohol, including by those, who until now had not used these substances.
As we know, the teenage years are one of the most challenging and tumultuous periods in the development of a human being. It isn't for nothing that many theorists call this period one of "storm and stress." Beyond the hormonal storm that inflicts the body of the adolescent, causing frequent and extreme changes in mood, the entire essence of this period is rebellion, curiosity, risk-taking, a desire to examine and change the world, belonging to peer groups, and detachment from parents.
It is clear that it is hard to bring these traits to expression during the routine of the coronavirus where our physical and mental boundaries have been restricted. For adolescents, this contraction is tantamount to a life sentence. The behavior of adolescents at the current time can be seen as a continuum, with two extremes: At the one extreme, a dramatic increase (compared to 2019) in isolation, loneliness, depression, a decline in self-esteem, in feelings of well-being, and even severe harm to body image, with all its dangerous implications. At the other extreme, boredom, absence of meaning, and a strong urge for relief and release that search for a way out. From here the path to use of addictive substances, alcohol, obsessive viewing of pornography, and other dangerous behaviors, is short.
This stressogenic situation has an extreme effect and can have grave ramifications on normal adolescents and on adolescents at risk. But when we are talking about "normal" adolescents, we expect the family and educational environment to be strong and supportive, to assist in maintaining a routine, and in particular to provide resources to build mental resilience. Youth at risk do not have this family support. There is also no significant adult for them to turn to and to share their helplessness with. Thus, the path to mental and psychological collapse becomes very short.
In order to deal with these grave effects, our response as significant adults, parents, educators, and therapists must be present, stable and clear. We must help adolescents contain the situation; we must on the one hand be with them in frustrating situations, and on the other provide them with practical tools to cope and to return to emotional balance. We must also set clear boundaries, build supervised routines, and find creative solutions to their social and emotional needs.
It is important to remember that the behavior of "normative" adolescents can also deteriorate in a situation of ongoing absence of routine when the boundaries of freedom close in upon us. . Educators, welfare personnel are being called to the flag, both in supporting and containing adolescents and their parents and in developing community responses to strengthening mental resilience. Otherwise, we shall all find ourselves facing the implications of the coronavirus on adolescents many years into the future.
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