Hawaii Book & Music Festival 2022

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, growing numbers of young people were experiencing high rates of clinical-level anxiety. About 11.6% of kids had anxiety in 2012, up 20% from 2007. But during the pandemic, those numbers nearly doubled, with ,more than 20% of youth struggling with anxiety symptoms. Besides COVID-related stressors like social isolation, missed milestones, and increased family tension, background stressors such as school shootings, political unrest, and the war in Ukraine have likely fueled these increases. These soaring numbers are clashing with a major crisis in mental health provision, and most children and teens with anxiety disorders are not getting the help they need.