– It felt very strange. I was so happy to be back, but then my body and instincts did not react exactly as I had wanted. That’s what Lina Halvorsen Hvamstad says. Two years of restrictions had built up expectations of normal everyday life. When she started high school last fall, there were therefore many impressions to digest. Double number of visitors Lina is not alone in having felt this, says health nurse Per Arthur Andersen. – We have noticed lately that starting to live again after the restrictions were lifted, has not been as easy as many thought. – To feel backwards in the time that is now, is completely natural. Several health stations in Oslo that news has spoken to say that more young people visit them now than before the pandemic. Andersen works at the Health Station for boys, a free low-threshold service for those between 12 and 25 years old. Health nurse Per Arthur Andersen. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / NRKPhoto: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news Last year, the station registered 890 visits. There are more than twice as many as in 2019. – We have regular follow-up with some. But there are very many who have one conversation, and then it goes well. It’s a bit like we’re used to. Andersen thinks they will beat last year’s visitor numbers. – And I’m a little happy about that. This means that the offer is becoming more and more known. And that the threshold for seeking help may have dropped a bit. City councilor Raymond Johansen praises the offer, and believes we need more of this type of boyish atmosphere. – I am especially worried about the boys after the pandemic, because there are more who are struggling than before. Struck with exclusion Under the restrictions, 16-year-olds Vivianné Bach and August Brunner thought it was difficult that they could not be with everyone they wanted. – I quickly noticed that you lost a lot of contact with some friends. It was difficult to do things together, since you had to be in small groups and exclude some, says August. – But even then I did not feel that it took a very long time to come back. The pandemic made Vivianné Bach appreciate the small pleasures of everyday life more. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news Both Lina, August and Vivianné are all members of the youth council in the Frogner district. Although they have done well, several young people have struggled with mental health problems during the pandemic. Increase in the neighboring municipalities Vestsiden health station in Fredrikstad says that more people are contacting them now than before. In Kongsberg, there is a steady influx of young people who usually need a lot of help. But they have also seen a slight increase among those who are usually healthy. In Drammen, there have been no more visitors to the health station itself. But they are seeing an increase in the number of inquiries in the upper secondary schools. Many of those who make contact struggle with exclusion. Not only negative Increased demand at the health stations and other services can be a sign that more people are having a hard time. But it can also be a sign that more people have been given a lower threshold for seeking help. That is the opinion of psychologist Tommy Sotkajærvi. – If I have to give one piece of advice, it is that you do not have to go through the difficult alone. Talk to someone. That is the very, very most important thing. Tommy Sotkajærvi, psychologist specialist in social and general psychology. Photo: Geir Syversen Photo: Geir Syversen He understands that the reopening of society was not as euphoric as many might have imagined. – Sometimes it is the case that even when the difficult situation is over, we continue to do things that are not necessarily good for us. Once you get used to being alone a lot, it’s harder to be social again. This is what it looked like in central Oslo during the first reopening last autumn: – Listen to the young In mid-February this year, the government removed all corona measures. – I feel I am back to a kind of normal. But I also feel a little unsure of what it really means, says Lina. August agrees. Regardless of the corona, everyday life as a 16-year-old will not be exactly the same as everyday life as a 13-year-old. – It is very liberating to get a taste of normal youth life, says Vivianné. The three 16-year-olds feel they have managed to take back everyday life after society opened up. Photo: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / NRKPhoto: Erlend Dalhaug Daae / news But four months after the measures were removed, we are probably heading into a new wave of infection. If that happens, the 16-year-olds have one clear piece of advice for politicians: Listen to the young people. And bet for God’s sake on mental and physical health measures. Bet on it so it slams.
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More young people visit the health stations in Oslo and Viken after the coronary pandemic – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
