CHILD'S MENTAL HEALTH IN COVID PANDEMIC

MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN AMIDST COVID PANDEMIC 

COVID has brought an array of mental health challenges for everyone, including children. Grief, fear, anxiety, anger, sadness, uncertainty, social isolation, increased screen time and parental fatigue have negatively affected the mental health of children due to disruption of routine, friendships and family support. Mild signs of anxiety, such as difficulty in sleeping or concentrating have become common. 

WARNING SIGNS TO LOOK OUT FOR.........

• In children <5 years: thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbance, loss of appetite, regression in behaviour or withdrawal from interactions.
• In children between 5 to 10 years: irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration and withdrawal from activities and friends.
• In adolescents between 10 to 19 years: hyperactivity or fidgeting, sleeping, and eating disturbances, agitation, increased conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behaviour and poor concentration.

What can be done to overcome this?

1. Be calm and proactive in your conversations with children – check in with them to see how they are doing. Their emotions will change regularly and you need to show them that’s okay.
2. Engage children in creative activities, such as playing and drawing, to help them express and communicate any negative feelings they may be experiencing in a safe and supportive environment. This helps children find positive ways to express difficult feelings such as anger, fear or sadness.
3. As children often take their emotional cues from the key adults in their lives – including parents and teachers – it is important that adults manage their own emotions well and remain calm, listen to children’s concerns, speak kindly and reassure them.
4. Unattended mental health problems can disrupt children's functioning at home, school and in the community. Parents and teachers should get equipped to detect and deal with early signs of mental health problems among children as they are the first to notice changes in child’s emotions or behaviour.
5. Children and adolescents should be encouraged to talk about their feelings and reach out to a trusted friend or family member. Early intervention can prevent long term mental health consequences from this COVID-19 pandemic.

Some children are at greater risk of developing severe anxiety, depression, substance/drug abuse and suicidal tendencies. 

Any pre-existing mental health problem can make children highly vulnerable to developing severe mental health conditions.

In these challenging times, create an environment of positivity at home to try to make children feel happy and relaxed.

"One thing that connects us all is that we are all going through this crisis together and doing our best to adapt to the new reality. Focus and dedication on the mental health and wellbeing of children and caregivers is just as important as taking precautions against the virus. We are in this together."
(UNICEF Executive Director, Henrietta Fore)