“If they’re having trouble falling asleep or trouble staying asleep, or you’re noticing that they’re sleeping very long hours into the day, a lot of trouble getting up for school, or if you’re noticing that they’re using alcohol or drugs if a parent finds drug paraphernalia at home, that’s a big warning sign um or a big change in their weight,” explained Brown.

She says those are some signs parents should look out for, and doctors are also asking questions during those annual checkups.

“I’m trying to address you know, the pandemic weight gain or loss issues, but also like how are you really doing coping with everything? Because it’s been a lot on the adults, but it’s been a lot on teenagers who rely so heavily on their peer groups and spent all that time pretty isolated from their peers,” she said.

Brown also explained the importance of coping mechanisms, urging parents to have conversations with their children to keep that open line of communication.

“I try to teach, you know, teenagers that you have control over your life, about your mental health, about your happiness, and you know, you can choose to get involved in different activities or you can choose how to handle when you’re having a bad day,” said Brown. “So for parents, it starts from a very young age, talking about boundaries and setting limits and being really involved in your children’s lives.”

The survey is extremely comprehensive, breaking down the numbers by demographic as well. It also looks into alcohol/drug use, sexual behavior, bullying and more.

You can see those results here.