Evanston Now Emotional impact of pandemic on kids expected to continue Emergency room visits for mental health issues increased 50%. High school to prioritize social-emotional health issues this fall. “Anxiety.” “Stressful.” “Lonely.” Those are words an Evanston parent used to describe the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on teenagers, who were stuck at home on remote learning for more than a year. That parent spoke at a recent District 202 Board of Education meeting, where another parent said teachers and administrators should expect a “tsunami of emotions” from their students when Evanston Township High School fully reopens for in-person learning in August. “Adolescents thrive from being around other teens,” explains Rachel Levitsky, a licensed clinical social worker/therapist who lives in Evanston.