NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Lance Patterson with the Boys and Girls Club said Friday that the new Communities That Care data shows that problems for kids after COVID are actually a little worse in Reno County than elsewhere in the state.
"They do a survey for 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th graders," Patterson said. "Reno County is what we're looking at. It was a little troubling. It was definitely eye opening. It said that 40% of Reno County youth have felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two or more weeks, to where that actually stopped them from doing something. It changed their activities. That's two percent higher than the state average. It is just pretty alarming. When we're thinking about the impact of COVID, there was worry about the health of our kids. I think, sometimes, the mental health aspect gets lost."
The numbers of suicidal thoughts, according to the survey, are also significant.
"Thirty-six percent have seriously thought about suicide," Patterson said. "That's four percent higher than the state average. Twenty-four percent have taken it a step further and made a plan to commit suicide. Fortunately, they've not gone through with that plan. But, they've actually sat there and thought about it. That right there is two percent higher than the state average. When we saw these, we were definitely alarmed and looking for ways that we can connect with these kids and make sure that they have the support that they need."
Sometimes that means connecting kids with resources from places like Horizons, sometimes that means connecting them with activities that give them something to look forward to on a future day.
"One of the teens had actually run away," Patterson said. "They called the police and said, they didn't know where they were and they came back because of the Boys and Girls Club. Those are the stories that kind of reinforce what we're seeing with some of this data. They're looking for something and it's up to us to try to figure out what that is and try to be there for them and try to help connect them to where they need to be."
If you'd like to donate to the Boys and Girls Club, you can do that at bgchutch.com.