‘Kids' Stress Can Be Improvised Positively By Reducing Parents' Stress … Parental Stabilisation Is The Key'

Children have been victims of the sudden and traumatic changes brought out by the outbreak of Covid-19. Basant K Pradhan, associate professor of psychiatry and paediatrics at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, US, spoke to Pratigyan Das about the coping mechanisms for both parents and children:

- Pratigyan Das

How has Covid affected the mental health of children?

Covid has affected the mental health of people significantly. When adults are affected, it trickles down to the children as well in many ways. First of all, the stressful impact of Covid depends on the developmental age of the child and the associated psycho-social changes. For example, children below seven years of age react differently compared to those above seven, because of the level of cognitive development. Often, under severe stress, kids below seven years are affected not only psychologically but also physically, kids above seven are affected mostly psychologically.

Though an in-depth study is required on this topic, data from adult studies suggest that Covid has affected children badly, mostly kids of less than seven years of age. It has increased their anxiety, lowered their confidence level, and affected their sleep, socialisation, exposure to sun, among many other things. In the US, as a child psychiatrist, I am observing that kids below age seven are more anxious, while kids above age seven have become more irritable and depressed. It has also worsened the internet addiction, insomnia and problem of being overweight because of stress-induced eating. Moreover, internet addiction has made them more withdrawn from the social world and more impulsive as well. In fact, many kids have become suicidal.