As weeks of quarantine and social distancing continue, isolation can make anyone feel lonely and more down than usual. However, counseling resources from schools, jobs and other online services have been greatly accessible and even encouraged for Americans – most of all, teens, who now lack social interaction. 

The amount of talk as well as concern surrounding teens and their diminishing mental health as the time in solitude increases has had at least one positive effect on our community: mental illness is finally being normalized rather than stigmatized. An epidemic of teen depression as well as anxiety disorder is something many students at Tualatin High School have experienced, and rates are only rising. Quarantine or not, there are many students who feel isolated or left out in their everyday lives, and yet the push for counseling resources isn’t nearly as great. 

Speaking up and admitting to needing help is something becoming more common as all adolescents are feeling that we’re in this together, but the effect of having this mentality at all times would help break the stigma around these issues so many people experience. Anxiety disorders affect a quarter of people from ages 13 to 18, and research shows how untreated children can develop poor performance in schools, lack social experiences, and can even succumb to substance abuse. 

Similarly, high schoolers and college students are the most affected age group for depression rates; no other age group has a rate above 10 percent, except those from ages 12 to 25. 

As normal and familiar these disorders may be, many still feel uncomfortable discussing them, which causes the afflicted to feel estranged. Besides a brief lesson in health class, there’s little to no platform for these topics to be talked about and resources to be given. 

So what can we do as a school and as a community to lessen the taboo around mental illness? 

The most important step is to start talking about it. COVID-19 has been a stepping stone towards recognizing mental illness for the crisis it is, but it’s our responsibility to continue on with this trend. Communication won’t eradicate these problems, but it’s an important reminder that whatever you’re going through, you are not alone.