The latest edition of Indiana Youth Institute’s annual Kids Count data book, a treasure trove which compiles dozens of measures of the well-being of Hoosier youth, features data from 2020, making it the first compilation to look at data from the first 10 months of the pandemic, and the Institute finds a higher percentage of kids in poverty or with food insecurity, and higher rates of anxiety. IYI President Tami Silverman tells WIBC 93.1-FM of Indianapolis that pandemic isolation “didn’t cause those problems, but worsened issues that already existed.” “Although schools are open again, she cautions it’ll take time to rebuild in those areas after months without the social interactions she says are essential,” the station writes. The Institute reports that students whose schools offer mental health counseling did better with those issues, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts. The report finds that Indiana’s well-being ranking stays consistent at 29th since 2019. Overall, Indiana ranks third-best among neighboring states: Illinois (21st), Michigan (28th), Indiana (29th), Ohio (31st), and Kentucky (37th).
