The first day of school for Massachusetts students may be a few weeks away, but worries could already be creeping in, especially for children who struggle with mental health issues amid the COVID-19 pandemic.“The rates just recently came out in a research study that for children, that rates of depression and anxiety have doubled in the pandemic,” said Dr. Jacqueline Sperling, program director of McLean Anxiety Mastery Program. “I’m nervous. I’m really nervous. I don’t want to go back to school to be honest. But, like, I know I have to,” student Kayla Brenner said. “It’s my responsibility to go back to school.”Brenner has been working with Sperling virtually through McLean Hospital’s Anxiety Mastery Program.When the rise in COVID-19 cases is added to the mix, kids may feel an amplified sense of distress, doctors said.“Someone with OCD and germs and all of that, it’s really hard because you don’t know. There’s so much uncertainty with it, so I don’t know it definitely caused me a lot of anxiety at first and I would shut down,” Brenner said.Sperling said there are some key strategies as kids return to school, and school officials can be especially helpful for kids who struggle.“A lot of schools have been really receptive to allowing the children and teens to practice walking around the school. Whether it’s with a caregiver or a peer or staff member, just to see that the building’s a little more familiar for them, so that’s a hurdle they’ve already cleared,” Sperling said. Brenner attended classes remotely last year. She has been to her new high school five times this summer.She said seeing the courage gymnast Simone Biles displayed at the Olympics gave her confidence to put herself out there and empower others. “Motivated me to stand up, not let this bother me and share my experiences with anxiety and depression and OCD and other things, too,” she said.