FORT COLLINS, Colo. (KDVR) — As the pandemic begins to wind down, doctors are reminding parents that pandemic stress may linger for some children. 

In 2021, Children’s Hospital Colorado declared a “state of emergency” when it comes to youth mental health. The unprecedented move came a little more than a year into the pandemic. 

“We started seeing an influx of patients, young children, coming in with symptoms of anxiety,” UCHealth Licensed Clinical Social Worker SJ Purcell said. 

According to Purcell, kids experiencing social anxiety often exhibit oppositionality and clinginess to a parent. 

“It’s for kids who, prior to COVID, weren’t exhibiting any of the symptoms of anxiety. They were living and loving life and then the world changed overnight,” Purcell said. 

As the world shifts towards a post-pandemic state, experts say it could take longer for children to adapt. 

“Even now when the masks are coming off, it almost is recycling again because it’s another new norm that they’re having to get used to,” Purcell said. “They are very resilient but we need to teach them.”

UCHealth launched a three-part video series to help both kids and parents deal with the challenges. 

“In each of the three videos there are coping skills that are easy to learn and hopefully kids will want to learn them,” Purcell said. 

The videos help children understand how to identify when they are feeling stressed and what to do when it happens.

According to Purcell, anxiety in children could linger for two to three years after the pandemic ends. 

“I don’t want that focus or that spotlight [on youth mental health] to go away once this pandemic is over,” she said.