"You are strong enough to face it all Even if it doesn't feel like it right now."

Oct 10, 2021

-Marianne Williamson

World Mental Health Day is an international day for global mental health education, awareness and advocacy against social stigma. First celebrated in 1992 at the initiative of the World Federation for Mental Health, a global mental health organization with members and contacts in more than 150 countries, the subject has gained far more significance during the last couple of years than ever before. The reasons for the same are obvious and apparent.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken an unprecedented toll on an entire generation, globally. While the physical impact of the pandemic on the affected and their families has been enormous, it is anticipated that the mental illnesses caused by the pandemic induced fears, vulnerabilities, dramatically altered lifestyles and restrictions, loss of livelihood and economic contraction, and many uncertainties around the future, shall be of massive proportions and volumes besides being disturbing in nature. The extremely limited mental healthcare resources pose another challenge to mankind.

While the pandemic has provided many families more time together, the challenge of balancing work without childcare has undoubtedly spiked stress levels in many households. A December 2020 study by the National Institute of Health concluded: “Parent stress increased substantially during COVID-19 and has not returned to pre-COVID-19 levels… Furthermore, given the persistent and repeated demands of this pandemic, many families are likely experiencing chronic stress, which is concerning given the physiological and emotional consequences of chronically elevated stress.”

When their caregivers (such as parents, teachers, instructors, educators, family members or nannies) are stressed, how can children remain unaffected? In fact, parenting stress is a known environmental risk factor that can harm both parents and children. The National Institute of Health states that parental stress, “…has been associated with numerous undesirable outcomes, including parent depression, marital conflict, poorer physical health, less effective parenting and increased child behaviour problems.” The research further shows this transactional relationship to be bidirectional, where increased parental stress leads to increased behaviour problems amongst children, which in turn leads to more parental stress. Healthy stress management techniques can be a vital key to support both parents and children, lessening the negative impacts of stress and helping families avoid the toxic consequences of stress.

Impact on Education:

School closures across the country have impacted countless children. Researchers at the Brown University, US projected that typical academic year gains in learning outcomes are expected to fall anywhere from 20% to 50% behind a typical school year due to COVID-19 related closings.

The George Lucas Educational Foundation notes that COVID-19 has also highlighted the wide achievement gaps in society that disproportionately impact students living in the lower stratas of the society. For children, the impact of chronic stress can have devastating consequences on academic performance. The impact can be more intense with longer lasting consequences in marginalized families that lack the resources to remain resilient.

It is not unusual for children to experience negative emotions such as fear, disappointment, sadness, anxiety, anger, loss etc. But it is the prolonged, restrictive, and widespread nature of the COVID-19 pandemic that has exacerbated the situation. Increased screen time, strained family relations or sedentary lifestyle at home pose additional challenges. “When will the school reopen? When can they go out and play? When can they visit their favourite places?” These are some common questions children may be constantly worrying about.

Let us discuss a few tips to enhance our children’s mental health in school and beyond:

1. Being a parent or a teacher is a daily challenge and faced with the realities of COVID 19, social distancing and self-quarantine, might be a struggle. For parents, the best way to help their children is to first take care of themselves.

2. Self-care during these times is not selfish because it enables the caregivers to be there for their children as a stable, calm and soothing being. This way, parents & teachers will also be able to better understand their children and help them feel reassured, relaxed and focused.

3. It is important to be calm and proactive in conversations with children – check in with them to see how they are doing. Their emotions will change regularly and that’s okay.

4. Whether at school or at home, caregivers can 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.

5. 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.

6. Unattended mental health problems can disrupt a child’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 a child's emotions or behaviour.

7. Children and adolescents should also 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 the COVID-19 pandemic.

Most schools have adapted more than partially with the ongoing pandemic norms and lifestyle it has imposed on the students and their families. They have come up with measures which are best suited for the well-being of the students. However, the occupational or emotional challenges faced by the schools are interfering with their usual ability to address students’ concerns and meet their needs completely at all times.

Parents and caregivers know their child the best. If they notice a sudden significant difference in their child's behaviour for more than a week, they must seek professional clinical help. Such behavioural symptoms change over time as the child grows:

1. In children younger than five years: thumb sucking, bedwetting, clinging to parents, sleep disturbances, loss of appetite, fear of the dark, regression in behaviour or withdrawal from interaction.

2. In children between 5 to 10 years old: irritability, aggressiveness, clinginess, nightmares, school avoidance, poor concentration, and withdrawal from activities and friends.

3. In adolescents between 10 to 19 years old: hyperactivity or fidgeting, sleeping, and eating disturbances, agitation, increased conflicts, physical complaints, delinquent behaviour, and poor concentration.

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

Take care of yourself too - because if you are happy, your family will be happy.

“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