Majority of children suffer from mental health conditions during Covid times

CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) -Parents Together questioned a portion of its two million members, and their children, to find out how they’re really feeling six months into the pandemic.

The results were predictably sad.

-70% of kids surveyed they felt more sad, worried or overwhelmed than before the pandemic.

-45% said they felt sad some or a lot of the time in the past week.

-40% felt scared some or a lot of the time in the past week.

-In households with under $50,000 in income, kids were twice as likely to say they felt sad, angry or scared in the last week.

New census data released last week reveals Cleveland is the most impoverished big city in the country.

Cincinnati ranks sixth. That makes Ohio the only state to have two large cities rank in the list of top 10.

“We had 5-year-old’s saying they were scared they would lose their home," said Allison Johnson, with Parents Together.

Kaneadsha Jones has not been working since March because her blind autistic child is immunocompromised and is struggling through distance learning.

Jones’ youngest in now on Zoloft and Adderall to manage increased hyperactivity.

And her middle child is dealing with a combination of stress and depression.

“Her anxiety is really bad, she now has a tick where her head jerks to the side. Sometimes it will do it intermittently. Depending on how much stress or anxiety she’s going through, it’ll tick and she can’t stop it. I had to take her to the ER because it wouldn’t stop ticking,” she said.

“Kids right now are paying the price, six months in. Finally hearing from them in their own heartbreaking words, it’s clear they’re not alright,” said Johnson.

Parents Together invited children to draw pictures of how they’re feeling and created an installation in Washington D.C. as part of their push for financial relief and renewal of federal unemployment benefits, another emergency cash payment, and protection from evictions.

"There’s no more powerful a messenger than these kids. They’re in this situation through absolutely no fault of their own and just need some help right now, " she said.

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