Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 virus continues worldwide. And although obtaining immunity to the coronavirus will certainly allow us to breathe, with the effects of the massive COVID-19 cases and the accompanying restrictions on the pandemic, we will have to grapple for a long time. These consequences can be painful especially for the youngest part of society, for whom psychologists have already coined the term “Q generation”, that is, the quarantine generation.
- The coronavirus pandemic and the forced quarantine that has lasted for a year will have a long negative impact on the mental condition of children and adolescents
- Stress from COVID-19 is compounded by the developmental changes in the biological, social and psychological spheres that accompany adolescence
- The list of possible consequences is long – says child psychologist Anna Jurczak
- These can be new social anxiety and phobia, post-traumatic stress disorder, depressive symptoms, and possible desocialization and social regression. Another risk is the increased use of computers and mobile devices
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Live anew
Last year, people talked about the negative impact of the pandemic and restrictions on our mental health. There was no need for extensive psychological research to diagnose lockdown societies. Being locked at home, working remotely, losing or having a significant problem with keeping the current job, online learning, the obligation to cover our nose and mouth and keep social distance, no family or social gatherings in a larger group – all this meant that we had to reorganize our lives and learn to function in new conditions.
Not everyone found themselves in the new reality. No wonder – living in constant fear for oneself and loved ones, related to the risk of developing COVID-19 and uncertainty about the course of the disease, is not something we experience every day. When we add new challenges, such as the need to share childcare while performing professional duties, or finding space in a home that has never been full for such a long time, and at the same time completely unable to break away from problems during meetings socializing outside the home, the situation had and is right to overwhelm even the most resistant to stress.
Many adults cannot cope with the problems generated by the pandemic, so it is difficult to expect that this hard time will not affect the emotions of children who do not have or are able to use defense mechanisms against the threat that accompanies us on a daily basis. Absorbing their parents’ emotions like a sponge, they are deprived of contacts with their peers necessary for the proper emotional development, the poorest of the possibility of traditional search for patterns of behavior in the world of adults (for example teachers) and of freely drawing on the resources of culture and entertainment, they lost the sense of security, which is so important at their age.
The young are ailing
This is well illustrated by the research carried out by the Empowering Children Foundation (FDDS) in last autumn, which was attended by 500 people aged 13–17. Young people were asked about the experiences and emotions that accompanied them in the first period of the pandemic, when, among others, hard lockdown, remote education and a ban on leaving home unattended by adults were introduced. In line with the foundation’s activity profile, particular emphasis was placed on psychological well-being as well as the experience of abuse and social support.
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Every third (33%) young respondent assessed their mental well-being as very bad or rather bad, and almost every fifth (17%) was unable to define it. What troubled teenagers most during the period of the greatest restrictions related to the pandemic was compulsory quarantine and its consequences – lack of contact with friends (63%) and the need to stay at home (51%). Young people were disturbed by the particularly tense atmosphere at home (11%) and the lack of privacy (5%), although 16% were at the same time. admitted that he was worried about his and his loved ones’ health. Distance learning also turned out to be stressful – 43% of respondents focused their attention on this aspect. respondents; In particular, the uncertainty as to further education and the form of exams (33%) was worrying.
The FDDS points out that despite the fact that the youth stayed at home, they did not miss their violent behavior. Some of them took place at home: 5 percent. of respondents witnessed violence against a parent or other child, and 11 percent. experienced violence by a close adult. But violence also found its place on the Internet – every seventh respondent experienced it from peers with whom he had contact mainly via the Internet or a mobile device. Easy access to the Internet was also conducive to sexual abuse – every tenth respondent experienced sexual abuse. During the lockdown, 9 percent. of them have received unwanted nude photos, have been the target of verbal sexual violence, or have been recruited online for sexual purposes. Sexually abused with physical contact constituted 3 percent. subjects.
The psychological consequences of the current situation were also highlighted by the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), which published its position on the matter at the end of January this year. Referring to scientific research which shows that young people are particularly affected by stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Polish Academy of Sciences reminded that these emotions are exacerbated by developmental changes in the biological, social and psychological spheres that accompany adolescence.
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In the statement, the experts raised an issue that is still little discussed in the context of the long-term effects of the pandemic. Citing empirical research, the Polish Academy of Sciences indicated that the first wave of the pandemic had already led to a deterioration in the educational results of the years affected by the school closure, and the inequalities between students and schools had deepened. The economic consequences of such education will be borne by them in adulthood. According to the calculations of the institution, the exclusion from school education equal to the loss of 1/3 of the school year is a loss of 3% on average. lifetime earnings. In turn, losses in the acquisition of cognitive skills by children and adolescents experiencing the effects of the pandemic “in adulthood may translate into lower human capital, including: weaker learning and cooperation skills, lower creativity, independence and innovation”.
Quarantine children
While most of the research on the mental health effects of the COVID-10 pandemic concerns adults and adolescents, a group that is increasingly being talked about in this context is younger children, especially those in preschool and early school age. Experts point out that the year of the pandemic for the youngest members of society is a significant part of their lives so far. Although it seems that they are under the protective umbrella of the parents with whom they spend the most, it is this constant and long-term contact that may have a negative effect on them. The tension that appears at home is perfectly felt by them and can cause severe stress, manifested by a loss of sense of security, attempts to gain the parent’s full attention, not to step aside and seek emotional balance in him.
Disrupting the order of daily rituals or activities (for example, going to nursery school, kindergarten, or other regular activities outside the home) deprives children of constancy and stability. In the case of preschoolers, it can cause developmental regression and secondary separation anxiety, but also disorders visible to the naked eye: decreased appetite, difficulty falling asleep, nightmares, bedwetting, tantrums. Older children at school age try to cope with the new situation in their own way. Much depends on the temperament, current formation and attitude of parents, but problems with memory and concentration or extreme attitudes towards the topic of the pandemic (reluctance to talk about the coronavirus or, on the contrary – excessive coverage of this topic) are often the result of a new situation.
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As the child psychologist Anna Jurczak points out, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic may be long-term in all age groups.
“ Even with the fight against the coronavirus behind us, the pandemic will leave a permanent mark on many of the most vulnerable groups in society, such as children and adolescents. The list of possible consequences is long. The youngest may develop new anxiety and social phobia, and excessive stress may contribute to the formation of somatization. Particularly sensitive individuals may develop PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder – ed.] Or the appearance of depressive symptoms, desocialisation and social regression are possible. But what could potentially affect the greatest number of children and adolescents and pose a long-term threat is even greater than ever narcotic use of computers and mobile devices. Consequently, it is difficult to organize leisure time in a traditional form – the psychologist explains, adding that the lack of a sense of agency and decision regression may also result in a problem with trust in adults due to the noise of information regarding the description of the pandemic situation and the multitude of its interpretations.
From change to … change
The recommendation to stay at home can, of course, also have positive effects. Apart from the issue of family relations (because whether they will be strengthened or, on the contrary – the internal conflicts will deepen, are to a large extent determined by the previous experiences of the household members), among others, the potential increase in the sense of responsibility. School-age children have undergone an accelerated adulthood course last year. They had to learn not only to take care of their health – their own, relatives, and other people’s health, but also to learn new rules of social life and take responsibility for their own education. The pandemic also forced them to some extent to go beyond their comfort zone, ordering them to give up their current habits, forms of spending free time and to make full decisions about themselves.
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While in the case of the potential effects of a pandemic, it is the youngest who are particularly vulnerable, coping with the dynamics of changes in the reality that surrounds us is definitely their advantage over adults.
– The present young generation is much easier to adapt to the process of change – confirms Anna Jurczak. – It is not a certainty that today’s children, experiencing a new reality that is difficult for all of us, will grow up fearful, insecure, unable to cope with social contacts. Much depends on the child’s personality and temperament, but also on how the parents or guardians explain the current situation to him. If they have anxiety traits, it is very likely that their children will also exhibit them – this is an effect of environmental transfer. It is difficult to define the impact of a pandemic on independence due to the fact that it is also a trait confronted with the attitude presented by parents and the possibility of perpetration that parents pass on to their children – she adds.
Can the period of a pandemic, apart from delivering a new dose of fear and frustration, strengthen the ability of contemporary children and adolescents to quickly adapt to new conditions and make them flexible, perfectly attuned to the changing reality of adults? Could a pandemic benefit today’s children and adolescents? Much depends on the parents, guardians, educators and us adults in general. So what to do to help?
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– Not to catastrophize and not to predict the future, but to explain the phenomena that occur. You can try to predict and describe the impact that isolation can bring, as well as prevent the appearance of depressive episodes and prolonged periods of depressed mood in children. It is also worth involving children in activities outside of the lessons that take place online: projects, conferences, additional classes, radio plays and podcasts, as well as showing new possibilities of using free time – advises psychologist Anna Jurczak and adds: – First of all, be there for them including a model and inspiration.
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