Since the pandemic started, experts have warned of a mental health crisis facing American children. That is now happening in the form of increased depression, anxiety, eating disorders, fights, and thoughts of suicide. Last December, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy spoke about “the urgent need to address the nation’s youth mental health crisis.” He said that in early 2021, emergency room visits in the U.S. for suspected suicide attempts were 51 percent higher for teenage girls and 4 percent higher for teenage boys compared to the same period in 2019. Sharon Hoover is a professor and co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland. She said child abuse and neglect increased during the pandemic. Students who lacked technology or good internet connections were isolated more than others. They fell behind in their studies and socially. And returning to school increased the anxiety of some children. “We cannot (can’t) assume that ‘OK we’re back in school, it’s been a few months and now everyone should be back to normal.’ That is not the case,” said Hoover. The silver lining -- which means a good thing to come from a bad situation -- is special mental health training for teachers. This training helps teachers learn warning signs of mental health risks and substance abuse in children, and how to prevent a tragedy. The program is run by the National Council for Mental Wellbeing and is available in every state in the U.S.