Mental Health of youth is a major source of stress for parents during coronavirus pandemic.What are top stressors for youths globally.

A new survey shows two-thirds of American parent respondents speak with their children about mental health at least once a month.

The coronavirus pandemic and their children's mental health are the two biggest causes of stress, and the vast majority of them are actively discussing mental health and well-being with their kids at least once a month, according to a new Blue Shield of California BlueSky survey released recently.

The survey, conducted in October, asked U.S, parents to identify their top stressors in 2020 and what they consider their children's top stressors.

Parents identified three topics as most stressful to talk about with their children: COVID-19 (16 percent), their children's mental health (11 percent), and family finances (10 percent).

The results are consistent with findings from BlueSky's August 2020 youth report, in which nearly 50,000 young people cited remote learning, uncertainty from COVID-19, and financial concerns as the most stressful issues they were coping with.

"COVID-19 has upended lives, from the way people work and study, to their pastimes and social interactions," said David Bond, LCSW, director of Behavioral Health for Blue Shield of California. "Mental health resources have never been more vital -- and catching the warning signs never more critical -- especially considering this prolonged period of isolation and uncertainty."

Making a point to discuss mental health

One bright spot in 2020 is that parents are taking mental health very seriously – especially with older teenagers. The survey found that nearly three in four parents (73 percent) of 15- to 17-year-olds are discussing mental health together with their teenager at least once a month.

Other highlights of the BlueSky Parenting & Mental Health Survey include:

• Four in 10 parents say they turn to family and friends as resources for learning about mental health and well-being of children during the pandemic.
• Black parents are more than two times more stressed about discussing racial justice protests with their children than white parents (17 percent to 8 percent).
• Three quarters of Hispanic parents are talking to their kids about mental health at least once a month – the highest percentage among all respondents.
• Baby Boomers are most willing to discuss mental health amid COVID-19: 62 percent of parents 55 and older say they talk to their children about mental health and well-being at least a few times per month.
• 14 percent of single parents say they are stressed about discussing family finances with their kids, compared with only 9 percent of two-parent families.
• When feeling anxious or stressed, 50 percent of parents say they engage in general leisure/entertainment to relax (e.g., watching shows, listening to music).

"Families are navigating unchartered waters with each new season, especially now going into the holidays," Bond said.

"My advice is to be intentionally patient with one another. Parents need to take time to check in with themselves and with their children and ask them, 'how can I help?' And remember, if you do not take care of yourself, you cannot take care of others. Talking to each other more can help everyone understand top stressors and build strategies to overcome them."

Experts of mental health at Emergency Manager think that communication with children is an essential tool to prepare them for current pandemic.All aspects of economy, society, culture, health and environment must be discussed with children.

It will prepare them for a safer future.

The above finding can give a broader picture of mental health of youth at global level during coronavirus pandemic.

However,we must take into account the local cultural, social, economic, political and environmental factors into account before drawing any final conclusion about mental health of a particular age group in a society.

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