Rehabs in NJ Surge As COVID School Closings Made Our Kids Vulnerable

Social restrictions, shutdowns, and school closures. For most adults, these responses to the COVID-19 pandemic ranged anywhere from inconvenient to debilitating in their effects. For children, the damage was much worse and could affect them for the rest of their lives. Younger children were faced with developmental challenges while teens lost the much-needed structure provided by in-person schooling. In fact, surging numbers of teens ending up in rehabs in NJ  show just how important that structure was for keeping kids out of trouble. 

Parental Stress

In order to understand why so many teens are ending up in rehabs in NJ, it’s important to analyze the ways school closings and lockdowns impact mental health. One major concern is the extreme uptick in parental stress. While COVID-19 stressed everyone out, studies show that parents reported higher levels of stress than their children. The mental stability of a parent has major effects on the mental stability of their child. While kids watch their parents struggle with the many hardships COVID-19 has brought, they become more and more likely to experience developmental delays, depression, struggles with substance abuse, and cognitive impairment. 

Lack Of Supervision

Another major issue that came with school closings was the fact that many parents did not have the support systems in place to supervise their children. Some parents were lucky enough to transfer to remote positions during lockdown, allowing them to remain home with their kids.  However, many essential workers still needed to show up to their job even though the kids are home learning remotely. This lack of supervision leads to things like drug and/or alcohol abuse, and possibly ending up in rehabs in NJ. No one is there to guard the liquor cabinet or intervene in substance abuse. This caused many kids to secretly develop addictions that their parents couldn’t address until it was too late. 

Social Lives

Going to school doesn’t only improve a child’s intelligence – it shapes their ability to socialize and interact with the world. With schools closed and many students rarely leaving their house, they fail to develop the social skills required to become a functional adult. This could lead to them using drugs or alcohol to quell social anxieties. The lack of a social life can also cause things like depression and other major contributing factors to the surge in rehabs in NJ. 

At-Risk Homes

Unfortunately, some children have dysfunctional homes with many risk factors that lead to mental illness and substance abuse. Many kids who end up going to rehab in NJ came from at-risk homes. These situations are difficult enough and COVID isolation exacerbates the problem. Children living in dysfunctional homes often find the only normalcy and stability in their lives at school. Teachers can act as positive role models for students who may not have any at home. When COVID-19 lockdowns began, these children were confined to toxic situations all day, every day. With no safe place to go and no outlet to relieve stress, these children found themselves trapped in a difficult place. 

The Best Rehabs in NJ

If you have a child struggling with substance abuse amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, you need to find a rehabilitation center that can actually make a positive impact. One of the best rehabs in NJ is Quantum Behavioral Health Services. Quantum Behavioral Health Services is a comprehensive treatment provider for people with substance use disorders. We provide partial care, intensive outpatient, and outpatient support in a welcoming, secure environment that offers an array of treatment options. If you or your child is struggling with mental health or substance abuse issues, contact us today and get started on the path to recovery and wellness.