HERE'S
HERE'S KING ERIC WILKINSON WITH THE TOLL TAKEN BY THE PANDEMIC AND WHAT THE FUTURE MAY HOLD.
YOU KNOW, I LOOK IN HER BEDROOM
AND AND I MISS HER A LOT.
JULIE BARRETT'S DAUGHTER
STARTED STRUGGLING SOON AFTER
SCHOOLS CLOSED DOWN LAST MARCH
373.
SEVEN DAYS LATER, THE 14 YEAR
OLD HIT A BREAKING POINT AND
SHE WAS YOU OUT ON THE STREET
SAYING I'M GOING TO KILL
MYSELF.
I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF.
JUST LET ME DIE.
LEAVE ME HERE TO DIE.
THE TEEN WITH A LOVE FOR MUSIC
AND HER FRIENDS WENT TO A
REGULAR CHURCH MEETING.
ALL SEEMED WELL UNTIL JULIE GOT
THE CALL THAT HER DAUGHTER WAS
DISSOLVING INTO A TOTAL MENTAL
BREAKDOWN.
BUT THE ISOLATION WAS REALLY
DIFFICULT FOR HER AND
ESPECIALLY WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR
STARTED LAST SEPTEMBER AND
THERE WAS REALLY NO END IN
SIGHT.
I JUST SAW HER DECLINE OVER
TIME AND SO TO LOOK INTO HER
ROOM AND TO KNOW HOW MUCH TIME
SHE SPENT IN THERE JUST HURTING
IS THAT'S HARD.
LIFE WAS TOUGH FOR KIDS BEFORE
THE PANDEMIC WITH STRESSES FROM
SCHOOL ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND
MENTAL ILLNESS ALREADY ON THE
RISE.
NOW ADD TO THAT ISSUES MANY
NEVER DEALT WITH BEFORE LIKE
PARENTS UNABLE TO PAY THE RENT
OR EVEN BUY FOOD AND SUDDENLY
THINGS CAN TAKE A FRIGHTENING
TURN SINCE THE OUTBREAK
OF COVID-19 WASHINGTON STATE
HAS SEEN ONE IN FOUR YOUTH
UNDER 18 STRUGGLE WITH SUICIDAL
THOUGHTS AND INCREASE FROM ONE
IN TEN IN TWENTY EIGHTEEN.
WE'VE GOT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER
OF KIDS WHO WE'RE REALLY TRYING
TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO FOR
THEM.
DR. ALICIA THOMPSON LEADS THE
PSYCHIATRIC UNIT AT SEATTLE
CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL.
SHE SAYS THEY'RE SEEING A
RECORD NUMBER OF KIDS COMING TO
THE E.R. FOR MENTAL HEALTH
ISSUES.
SOME AS YOUNG AS SEVEN YEARS
OLD.
THE UNIT HAS 41 BEDS BUT IS NOW
SEEING UP TO 170 PATIENTS EVERY
WEEK.
DOCTORS SAY THE DISRUPTION IN
ROUTINE I'M NOT GOING TO SCHOOL
OR SEEING FRIENDS AND THE
ALIENATION OF A LIFE FULLY
ONLINE CAN CREATE CHEMICAL
CHANGES IN THE BRAIN THAT
REWIRE THE WAY WE THINK IT
BASICALLY TEACHES US THAT WE
ALWAYS HAVE TO REACT IN A
STRESS RESPONSE.
IT BYPASSES LIKE THINKING PART
OF OUR BRAINS THAT WE CAN THINK
THINGS THROUGH CLEARLY AND IT
JUST MEANS THAT WE'RE KIND
OF LIVING IN A CRISIS MODE FROM
DAY TO DAY AND IT'S A REALLY
HARD PLACE FOR A BODY TO LIVE.
WE HAVE PARENTS CALLING US.
YOU CAN TELL THE DESPERATION IN
THEIR VOICES AND WE SIMPLY
CAN'T GET THEIR KIDS IN AND
HELP IS INCREASINGLY HARD TO
GET.
SEATTLE'S WIDER PSYCHIATRIC
CLINIC IS OPERATING AT ONE
HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE PERCENT
CAPACITY SEEING ABOUT A
THOUSAND PATIENTS EVERY MONTH
AT THE SAME TIME DIRECTOR
OF OUTPATIENT SERVICES DR.
LAURISSA MANSEL SAYS THEY'RE
LOSING CLINICIANS AT AN
ALARMING RATE DUE TO COVID
BURNOUT.
THE BRUTAL REALITY IS THOSE
WITHOUT GOOD INSURANCE WILL
WAIT UP TO A YEAR TO BE SEEN.
HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE CARE
OF THE CHILD?
THOSE ARE THE KIDS WHO ARE MORE
LIKELY TO HAVE PARENTS WHO ARE
UNEMPLOYED DURING THE PANDEMIC
WHO HAVE HIGHER LEVELS
OF STRESS, WHO HAVE MULTIPLE
CHILDREN SO THE OUTCOMES FOR
THOSE KIDS AREN'T AREN'T GREAT.
SO WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD
FOR ALL THOSE WHO'VE SEEN THEIR
LIVES TURNED INTO A PANDEMIC
BLUR?
SOME EXPERTS FEAR A RISE IN
SOMETHING TYPICALLY RESERVED
FOR SOLDIERS PTSD A CONDITION
THAT CAN DRAMATICALLY IMPACT
MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH WELL
INTO ADULTHOOD INCLUDING EARLY
DEATH, MENTAL HEALTH, A
PANDEMIC WITHIN THE PANDEMIC
THAT EXPERTS SAY MUST BE
TREATED AS SUCH.
I THINK WE'LL CONTINUE TO SEE
THE SUICIDE RATE WHICH IS
ALREADY INCREASING CONTINUE TO
GO UP.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE
PRESENTATIONS TO OUR
DEPARTMENT MENTAL HEALTH TEAM GO UP PRETTY DRAMATICALLY AND SO WE KIND OF HAVE A CHOICE
POINT OF DECIDING WHAT ARE WE
GOING TO DO TO BE ABLE TO
ADDRESS THIS CRISIS.
IT'S REALLY HARD IN JULIE
BARRETT'S BATTLE.
HER DAUGHTER WILL SPEND THE
NEXT YEAR AT A TREATMENT CENTER
IN ARIZONA TWO YEARS OF HER
LIFE GONE IS A FAMILY WAITS TO
BECOME WHOLE AGAIN.
YOU KNOW, AS A PARENT YOU WANT
NOTHING MORE THAN FOR YOUR KID
TO BE HEALTHY AND HAPPY AND I
WANT HER TO BE HEALTHY AND
HAPPY AND AT HOME WITH US.
ERIC WILKINSON, KING 5 NEWS
THERE IS NEW HOPE ON THE
HORIZON.
JUST YESTERDAY CHILDREN'S
HOSPITAL ANNOUNCED A 15 MILLION
DOLLAR DONATION SPECIFICALLY
DEDICATED TO MENTAL HEALTH AND
NEUROSCIENCE PLANS ARE ALREADY
IN MOTION TO TRAIN
PEDIATRICIANS SO THEY CAN TREAT
MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES EARLY AND
RELIEVE SOME OF THE PRESSURE ON
PSYCHIATRISTS AND HOSPITALS.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO
GET HELP,