Paul Junor
There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is taking a mental toll on children all over the world. It is even more pronounced in Ontario where the province is experiencing the third wave of the pandemic and students are learning remotely at home.
The release of the report titled “Kids are in Crisis- Canada’s Top Advocates and Experts Unite to Declare #codePINK” drew attention to the crisis that our children are currently facing. The report can be seen at the website: childrenfirstcanada.org The report is intended to “Raise the alarm about the current mental health crisis facing children and young people across the country.” Code Pink is used specifically in the report because it indicates the urgency of the crisis. The report states that this public health campaign is “Calling on the federal and provincial/territorial governments to act immediately to address this emergency.”
The report identifies four factors that contribute to this crisis: school closures, the lack of access to sports, to recreational programs, and social isolation. The report released data that revealed the extent and scope of the crisis from Children’s Healthcare Canada, Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundations, Canadian Institute for Health Information, and the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). The report shows the following:
● Suicide attempt admissions have increased by 100% on average during the pandemic
● Admission for substance-use disorders have increased by 200% compared to last year and the use of potentially deadly opioids has also increased.
● 70% of kids aged 6 to 18 report that the pandemic has harmed their mental health in at least one area, such as anxiety or attention span.
● More children and youth are seeking emergency care
● Surgical backlogs have increased by 24% compared to the same time last year (SickKids) and surgeons are now suggesting it could take up to three years to address the backlog.
● Child abuse rates have risen sharply with a 100% increase in cases of infants presenting fractures and head trauma since 2020 and reported spikes cases of nutritional neglect and starvation.
Children First Canada has been pivotal in organizing the #codePINK campaign and represents 8 million children in Canada. Sara Austin, Founder and CEO of Children First Canada states, “We’re declaring a #codePINK because kids are in a state of crisis and we are calling for an emergency response. Their physical and mental health health needs are escalating daily, and the impacts will be felt for years to come. The crisis is particularly impacting the most vulnerable, including First Nations,Metis and Inuit children, Black and other racialized children, and children and youth with disabilities and complex needs.”
In conjunction with its partners, there is a call to, “Safely reopening schools, camps, parks and other recreational facilities as quickly as possibly, scaling up virtual care programs, reducing backlogs for surgeries and rehabilitation investing in new models of mental health programs to meet the urgent and rising demands, and planning now for a safe return to school in the fall.”
