Covid and children’s mental health: Financial hardship takes a heavy toll
It’s well-known that the COVID-19 protocol has created financial difficulties — especially low and middle-class families—and now a new study sheds light on how those struggles have affected children’s mental health.
A new study led by researchers at Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine, Both in New Yorkfound that family economic hardship was the biggest driver of “stress, depression and anxiety related to COVID” among children.
The study, published in JAMA Network, also suggested that Covid-related school closures had no effect. Children’s mental health.
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The researchers analyzed data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, funded by the National Institutes of Health. The study surveyed 6,030 children ages 10 to 13 in 21 US cities between 2020 and 2021.
It also collected data from children and their guardians about their experiences during the pandemic, including job losses, distance learning and Policies related to COVID.
Additionally, it included questions about the link. Sleep and mental health.
A new study shows that family economic hardship was the biggest driver of “stress, sadness and anxiety related to COVID-19” among children during the lockdown. (iStock)
Dr. Michael Roske, a licensed clinical psychologist and senior director of Newport Health Care Center, who Headquartered in Californiawas not involved in the study but said he is not surprised that financial struggles affect children’s mental health.
“Children are often greatly affected by stress in the home,” she told Fox News Digital in an email.
“If there were feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, which would almost certainly arise from job loss or loss of income, it would undoubtedly affect them. If parents Too much pressure or self-inflicted fear, children can no longer feel safe at home. It can be developmentally devastating.”
“If parents are too stressed or scared themselves, children may no longer feel safe at home.”
And in even more serious cases, children may be concerned about basic needs and housing.
Dr. Roske said he is seeing the effects of the pandemic firsthand through Newport Healthcare, which operates a chain of mental health treatment centers around the country.
“We’re seeing more kids struggling with depression, anxiety and suicidality than we’ve ever seen before,” he said.
The study found that school closures had no effect on mental health
While other studies have found that school closures actually increase children’s mental health struggles, this study found no such link.
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Dr. Yunyu Xiao, an assistant professor at Weill Cornell Medicine who co-authored the study, offered a possible explanation for what might seem like a surprising lack of effect.
“If children had more protective factors such as Increased parental care At home during the lockdown, it will help with mental health,” he said in an email to Fox News Digital.
“Children are often very affected by stress in the home,” a psychologist told Fox News Digital. “If there were feelings of uncertainty and anxiety, which would almost certainly come from job loss or loss of income, that would undoubtedly affect them.” (iStock)
The study didn’t use specific measures of mental health, so it can’t speak to its severity or whether new disorders emerged, Dr. Roske said.
“Certainly, it’s hard to argue that there isn’t a link between school closures and children’s mental health, the resulting isolation, uncertainty and even time on devices,” he said. has been added.”
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“Disrupting one’s normal routine in such an extreme way can only cause symptoms of anxiety and depression.”
Communication, mental health care is key
Roeske said it’s important to maintain age-appropriate lines of communication to protect children’s mental health during difficult times, and to consider how much children hear and know about any financial struggles. are
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“Know. Signs of sufferingLike behavioral changes, eating patterns and sleep,” he said.
“And get your child help if things don’t get better or keep getting worse; don’t wait until things get really bad.”
It’s important for parents to recognize the signs of trouble and know how to get help for their children. (iStock)
Dr. Roske pointed out that many parents don’t know where to turn for help.
He cited a recent survey of 1,000 parents of 13-17 year olds by Wakefield Research for Newport Healthcare.
The researchers did not look at the severity or onset of new psychiatric disorders.
While nearly half of parents (46%) said the pandemic allowed them to see their teen’s mental health struggles during quarantine and remote learning, nearly 70% didn’t know if they had. If teenagers face such problems, what should be done?
The study had limitations.
Because the data was self-reported, Dr. Zhao said there was a possibility that the responses were biased or inaccurate. In addition, the researchers did not look at the severity or onset of new psychiatric disorders.
“Future research should include more precise measures of mental health, such as clinical scales, and use advanced techniques for more efficient and bias-correct assessments,” he said.
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Dr. Zhao also said there may be other confounding factors, such as a COVID-19-related death in the family, that can affect mental health.
“While our study aimed to correct for bias for family financial and school barriers, this does not mean that other important barriers do not exist,” she explained.
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The study also did not have a large enough sample to stratify by race, age, gender, or family environment.