Nearly a year of remote learning has taken a toll on students' mental health. 

A pediatrician Spectrum News spoke with says since Thanksgiving he has seen a substantial rise in kids presenting thoughts of self-harm or suicide, as well in spikes of anxiety and depression.

They attribute it largely to the isolation of learning from home, saying even though kids can still connect with friends online, it's no replacement for the stimulation time with their peers being at school provides. 

Doctor Robert Dracker says it's important to take what kids are saying seriously. If a child talks about negative thoughts, mentions self-harm or asks about depression, dismissing it as them not understanding or simply seeking attention is a mistake. 

Instead of dismissing it, he says it's important to ask where these feelings come from and listening without judgment.

One thing to look out for is a change in behavior, if a child that is usually expressive and engaged is spending more time alone than usual, it may be time to have a difficult conversation.

"Maybe a family conference and find out out what's going on," said Doctor Draker. "When everyone is together all this time ,I think it provides a good opportunity to just discuss how everyone is feeling, and what pressures everyone, I don't care how young they are, is experiencing, as well. Usually when things are difficult for people, you forget the little simple ways for avoiding problems from escalating." 

When it comes to the idea of returning to in-school learning, a number of schools in our region are starting to talk about bringing students back into the classroom more frequently, but ultimately it falls on the state to change its social distancing guidelines before any changes can be made.