LAUSR

The COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for over 2 million deaths and unprecedented disruption in the daily lives of people in communities worldwide. Efforts to slow viral transmission including quarantine and school closures have introduced profound changes in children's lives. Decreased opportunities for social interaction and physical activity, reduced instruction time impacting academic progress, changing nutritional habits and soaring rates of hunger, and increasing digital media use are just several of the myriad ways in which young people's lives have been altered. Emerging studies suggest that health and emotional wellbeing has been negatively impacted across developmental. There are many reasons to suspect that minoritized communities are particularly vulnerable, given the disproportionate toll COVID-19 has taken on the physical health and economic stability of Black, Latinx/Hispanic, and Native American communities who have experienced generations of structural racism and related health disparities. These indications of a percolating national and global crisis in children's mental health occur against a pre-COVID backdrop of inadequate health care infrastructure to meet the needs of children and families requiring mental health support. With these deeply concerning trends in mind, this month's Journal features new research from Penner et al.1 in which investigators found a protective effect of stay-at-home regulations on the mental health of a cohort of middle school students in the United States early in the pandemic. This study deserves our attention as we seek to understand the complex and evolving impacts of the pandemic upon youth mental health, and raises important questions about cultural, biological, and social factors that might contribute to resilience in specific youth and communities.