Many have been the changes since the COVID-19 pandemic began in the world, this situation has not only caused stress in adults, but also in children who have been affected by the measures that were implemented to create a new normal to cope with the virus. The impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health is impressive.
From closed schools, social distancing, to mandatory isolation in some cases, all these measures generated a great psychological impact on children, as revealed by a UNICEF report that covers the issue and makes it visible.
Mental health and children
It may be that for many parents this discomfort is something of little importance because it is not so visible. And they may think that children are the least mentally affected by traumatic situations. Moreover, facing the great changes that have originated is not easy for the little ones.
Although there are still doubts about what will be the greatest effect on children’s mental health. The anxiety generated by this new scenario is remarkable. It was at the time to stop seeing his friends, family, not being able to play freely in parks and streets as they used to be. In addition, the fear of getting infected or that their relatives would die from a virus that they did not understand.
For this reason, imagine the level of anxiety and frustration they could carry even now that everything has changed since those days of fear.
The first negative effects that the pandemic has left on the mental health of children, is sadness, anguish and confusion, The UNICEF report indicates that a large percentage of children who were confined, have shown post-traumatic stress behavior as a result of the pandemic, also, that negative thoughts in children have increased which could end in depression if the correct measures are not taken.
Psychological impact of COVID-19 on children
One of the measures that has hit the mental health of children the most has been confinement because many failed to understand everything that was happening in the world and this produced fear that in some cases is still latent.
Therefore, expert psychologists point out the importance of urgently addressing the mental health of children due to the effect of the pandemic. What we want to achieve is to offer enough tools to children so that they do not repress their emotions about what happens in their lives and thus avoid psychological disorders that could appear if certain signs are not taken into account.
It is important for parents to be on the lookout for changes in their child’s behavior. Irritability, disinterest, nervousness or perhaps seeing that your child is worried daily and expresses feeling lonely, are some of the effects. This is the result that the confinement that was experienced and the pandemic could have on children.
What makes it fundamental in this case, is to clarify that much of this behavior may be normal given the situation due to the radical change of routine they experienced, but if the discomfort becomes repetitive in the child it is convenient to talk to them about what they could be feeling.
Stress on mental health in children.
Like adults, children are exposed every day to challenges or experiences that, although many are part of their development and learning, many others represent difficult situations for their little minds.
The question Why do children have stress? It is relatively easy to answer if you know the situation of a specific child, more, this does not mean that by not knowing the entire history of the infant, you can not have a generalized list with possible causes that generate stress in children.
Classes, friends, changes, family, separation (especially if they are babies entering the kindergarten stage) or the simple but important fact of not having time to play, to be children, can greatly increase stress. Now with the new life measures we have adopted due to COVID-19, such as masks, more obstacles are placed for children, since they may feel they do not have the freedom they need to socialize.
So, depending on the age of the child, it is important that parents take time to communicate about their emotions or feelings, knowing what is going through their heads is a good sign to remove a weight that they may be carrying and generating stress. The impact of Covid-19 on children’s mental health is impressive.
How to manage stress in children due to the impact of COVID-19?
The stress in children during the pandemic was a challenge for everyone, because somehow what was always tried to mitigate was what was happening everywhere, you could say that at times it felt an impossible mission to hide or try to make understand what is happening outside the home.
Now, channeling children’s emotions and understanding them may not be easy in some cases, but it is crucial if you want to avoid greater anxiety and stress in children.
Maintaining routines with children, food, virtual classes, games, outings to parks or a TV time, also helps them feel safe, because it is the parents who must take care of the children’s mental health in some way, even if the situation is exhausting at times. Talking, hugging, helping them, is necessary and important to face not only COVID-19, but also any other difficult moment. The impact of Covid-19 on children’s mental health is impressive.
