The expression of pleasure and displeasure contributes to the primal fear of an infant. These emotions are then exemplified as joy, anger, sadness, disgust, and fear by the end of six months. Needless to say, most of these emotions have a psychological impact on the developing brain if children and adolescent are exposed to negative environment for long. With the current reporting in times of COVID 19 crisis it was found nearly 99% of world children are under home quarantine due to inevitable lockdown imposed on the families. While 60 % are living partial to full lockdown, it is noticeably worthwhile that almost 1.5 billion children ae out of school.
“Fear of Unknown” one of the most significant primal fear has left children exposed to heightened sense of insecurities where their safety is challenged and has left them with a potentially exacerbating effects on their cognitive development. If the recent statistic is to be considered China reported fourfold increase in post traumatic stress among children in first four months after the epidemic started since December ,2019.
Parents and families are adapting to the new norms of post COVID life after experiencing a sudden shock wave of immediate lockdown and manifold increase in death at a global scale. The infectivity of the virus has washed down streets of its people and life has come to stand still. As much as it has disrupted a normal individual life, it has markedly affected every aspect of children health, development, learning and behavior.
Lockdown Situation due to COVID-19 Pandemic
Following the recent studies in the journal of psychological sciences it was mentioned that emotions are contagious and babies not only pick up their mothers stress but also tend to indulge in ‘social referencing’ with other’s emotion as well, in return they show physiological changes of their own corresponding to their caretakers stress. COVID related anxiety was reported to spike among the pregnant mothers along with stress associated due to pregnancy but the only positive findings were only minor reporting of COVID positive affected children from COVID positive mothers. Infact children was one group to be reportedly spared from the severity of Covid infections and escaped only with milder symptoms like that of flu. In what has turn out to be the worst nightmare for parents, the recent reporting of Multi System Inflammatory Syndrome in children (MIS-C)above 5 years have left experts and researchers fluttered in desperation. As many as 73 children in New York, and several other reporting in Chicago and New Jersey manifested similar symptoms like that of Kawasaki and Toxic shock syndrome. Toddlers and primary school aged are the worst affected with most of them under the age group of 3-14 years.Children who were separated from their caregivers, including children infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and quarantined in hospitals and children whose caregivers are infected with SARS-CoV-2 or who have died from the disease and are under huge psychological impact .According to the researchers in the university of Beth significant duration of loneliness among young people tends to precipitate depression three times more often with the impact lasting as long as 9years.In another study from BMJ reflected higher suicide rates among young people under severe mental distress. Suicides remains the second leading cause of death in young population age (15-24). At least one in five youth between (9-17 years) are currently fighting a diagnosable mental disorder, and one in 10 have reported significant disorder leading to impairments following anxiety, attention deficit, behavior disorder to name a few.
Impact of Online Learning during Lockdown Situation
Bilal and coauthors studied the impact of Covid 19 among the population and revealed that 53.3 expected social problem following lockdown whereas 27.5 were on contrary satisfied with the present actions of the government regarding lockdown and home quarantine as family are more in touch and provide a positive environment through reinforcement. Most of them were appreciative of the decision of promoting children to next grades thereby relieving the parental and child stress at both ends; they also emphasized on the difficulties in time distribution among parents and children on sharing internet and devices during online schooling and work from home scenario. Increase screen time and internet addiction was there major concerns affecting child eyesight and burnout. Home schooling on one hand has been associated with additional benefits to mental health for children victim of bullying, parents on the other hand expressed positively with fewer morning rush and parenteral stress imposed on children by their time limitation. This would mean longer sleep hours, more flexible time schedules, less burnout as children could frequently take break, less pressure and lesser comparison with fellow colleagues. Children are now able to spend more time with parents and take parts in activities together. This is particularly more important in the era of makeshifts and living at home like a tourist on a night stay.
Parents on the other hand can set in the new norms and making children understand the pandemic in a playful way through comic, books, drawing and representation instead of subjecting them to loads of negativity broadcasted on media.
Physical health is a major factor in mental and cognitive development and children should be mobilized within the household, performing errands to keep them engaged actively.
Decision makers should consider providing free, accessible psychiatry teleservices for parents and children under any mental stress maintaining a positive, caring, accepting and nonjudgmental professional attitudes toward people with under any anxiety recognising the red flags among anxious children and reference in in case of further intervention required. Paediatrician and paediatric dentist need to be trained regarding this on using rapid screening tools for mental health and reaching out to remote areas with lower socioeconomic status. Health advisory needs to include psychological evaluation as an important sector under ‘Ayushman Bharat’ for managing people with mental stress.
When children spend more time conversing with adults it gives them more space and support to explore each realm of their existence under all aspects of emotional, mental, cognitive and philosophical nature. Children are better able to vocalize their needs among familiar environment and parents being intimately involved in their learning are better aware of their child feelings and could assist better with their struggles.
GAMEFACE 