Protecting campers’ well-being requires an upfront exchange of detailed information
By Nicholas M. Teich
In 2022, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy stated that children’s mental health was the “defining public health crisis of our time.”[i] He was not the first to state such a sentiment, nor will he be the last. The camp industry has been talking about mental, emotional, and social health for many years, as camps continue to see the effects of today’s world on campers.
The COVID-19 pandemic is often blamed for the rise in mental-health challenges for youth, but it began before the pandemic.
In a March 2022 blog post for Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Dr. Lou Baptista-Neto, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Columbia University’s Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, writes, “There’s a national crisis in adolescent mental health; hospitals are full of adolescents with suicidal ideation. It’s fair to say that the problem was growing before the pandemic, but no doubt it has been exacerbated.”[ii]
Camp is the antidote to much that is difficult for kids right now. It doesn't mean camp will be easy, and we know kids bring these issues with them, but here is what camp professionals wish the public knew: At most camps, kids are away from technology, making and nurturing face-to-face friendships, learning to resolve conflict, living as a community, being independent from parents and guardians, trying new things, spending a lot of time in nature, understanding that working as a team is critical, and gaining confidence in themselves. One can argue that, today, every single one of these items is neglected in the rest of society.
As noted in a study by Dr. Elena Bozola, et al. (2022), “Internet penetrance and connectivity are also connected to cyberbullying, which can lead to depression and suicidality. On the other side, physical activity may decrease depression and anxiety, potentially protecting the young against the harmful effect of social media abuse.”[iii]
Camp provides just that: an increase in physical activity and a decrease (or outright ceasing) of device usage. It is easy to see why camp is more important than it has ever been for youth.