COPEING Methods for your child and teen during COVID-19

Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had an enormous impact on almost everything in our lives. We have been faced with uncertainty and stress as the world has had to change and adapt to combat the outbreak. During this pandemic, we have had to create a new normal in our lives as work, school, and leisure activities all needed to take place in our homes.

Our children’s mental health is just one of the many things that has been impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak. The loss of daily routines, the limitations placed on social events and gatherings, and the cancellation of treasured summer and fall leisure activities for our safety during this outbreak have all been a source of stress, anxiety, and sadness for our children.

As a community, we need to make sure we take the time to check-in on the mental health of our children, teens, and loved ones. It is important to be able to recognize the warning signs of depression and anxiety symptoms in children. To learn more about depression and anxiety in children, please click on the highlighted links:

What is the Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment(COPE) program?

COPE was designed by Bernadette Melnyk, PhD, APRN-CNP, FAANP, FNAP, FAAN to provide a cognitive behavioral therapy based, skills-building program to build strong coping and problem-solving skills among youth facing depression, anxiety, and stress in the primary care setting. The program was designed to inform children, teens, and young adults that mental health conditions are treatable and to provide hope for improvement. Sessions can be delivered in office or remotely through virtual visits to allow for safe physical distancing.