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In the lockdown, young patients who had not previously had depressive tendencies were sent to the children’s psychiatry ward, says psychiatrist Małgorzata Wyrębska-Rozpara from the “Zdroje” hospital in Szczecin. In her opinion, the psyche of children is influenced by the parents’ fears and the unprecedented situation of the whole family staying at home for a long time.
- How did the pandemic and the related lockdown affect the mental well-being of children?
- When the first lockdown began, there were very few reports in the psychiatric ward – says psychiatrist Małgorzata Wyrębska-Rozpara
- At the moment, a lot of patients are reporting. Children are very confused – he adds
- The moment they were locked at home, they stopped coping. Children cannot mobilize, says the psychiatrist
- More information can be found on the Onet homepage.
During the lockdown, more children report to psychiatric wards
“When the first lockdown began last March, there were very few reports in the ward. Everyone was afraid, there was a lot of uncertainty. The children even enjoyed online learning; in the first few days it was not so terrible. At that time, we had 15 patients for 36 beds, and usually during this period we have many more »- said in an interview with PAP psychiatrist Małgorzata Wyrębska-Rozpara, head of the Department of Child and Youth Psychiatry in the” Zdroje “hospital in Szczecin.
She added that the situation changed during the second lockdown, when schools closed again – this time for longer, and students once again stayed at home and studied remotely.
«At the moment, a lot of patients are reporting, we have a lot of excess. Children are very confused – as everyone knows, it is not a great discovery »- pointed out the psychiatrist.
She noted that according to her observations, remote lessons were received better by some young people, previously prone to anxiety, than by their peers.
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«They are young people who were afraid of confronting their teachers, their peers, and various situations at school. They could not leave the lesson – now they had the opportunity to turn off the webcam at the computer and only listen »- pointed out the doctor. However, she emphasized that these people were very afraid of returning to the normal school mode.
Pandemic and eating disorders
One of the reasons for the reluctance to return to school desks full-time may also be the fact that, for example, they gained weight, which was facilitated by lockdown with a lack of regular physical activities and a temporary ban on children and adolescents leaving home unaccompanied.
«Right now we have a lot of girls with an eating disorder who have started to lose weight drastically. We haven’t had such a situation in the ward for a long time. Although I cannot say for sure whether it should be directly associated with the pandemic »- Wyrębska-Rozpara reserved.
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She pointed out that in October and November, when there are usually more patients, in October and November, children who had not previously had depressive tendencies also appeared last year.
Distance learning worsens the mental health of children
«The moment they were locked at home, they stopped coping. There are many complaints about a lack of motivation to learn. Children cannot mobilize themselves to turn on the computer and sit with it for six hours »- noted the psychiatrist.
She mentioned one of her patients who linked his malaise with distance learning. «He dropped out of school, went from being a good student to a middle school, he did not leave because he thought it was pointless. He was in the first year of high school, so he didn’t even get to know the new class. Pharmacological treatment and meetings with a psychologist only slightly improved his quality of life »- described Wyrębska-Rozpara.
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She pointed out that during a recent visit, the boy admitted that he was glad but also afraid of going back to school. «She hopes that when she goes to school, she will start to live again, she has a lot of hope in it. I think that if it weren’t for lockdown and distance learning, this boy wouldn’t have had such problems »- said the psychiatrist.
The pandemic promotes computer addiction
In young people who were locked at home for months, the doctor also noticed more frequent addiction to the computer; it was influenced by the transfer of contacts with peers to social media.
“Many parents report this problem – children sit with their noses on the phone, and taking it from him is associated with a row on such a scale that sometimes even an ambulance is called, even household appliances are demolished” – said the doctor.
She noted that the children’s psyche is also influenced by their parents’ fears, the previously rare situation of the whole family staying at home for a long time, loosening family ties with distant relatives, but also fear for their health and those of their loved ones.
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“I recently had a patient who fell ill with COVID-19 and had great remorse that she infected my dad, who ended up in the hospital and barely recovered from the disease. She felt guilty »- said Wyrębska-Rozpara.
As she noted, additional problems also appeared in the pandemic in children who experienced domestic violence – their condition could previously be noticed at school.
«There were also patients who were ashamed to turn on the computer and attend the lesson; it happened that the teacher and the class witnessed their parent burst into the room screaming – because the child did not wash the dishes »- said the doctor.
She pointed out that it is not yet known how long depressive symptoms related to lockdown and the pandemic may persist, especially as the situation is still uncertain and it is not known whether teaching will return to normal in September.
We must listen to our children
When asked about how to help young people who feel these effects of being closed at home, she stressed that parents should support their children and try not to pour their fears onto them.
«We adults also have the right to be afraid of something, to be insecure, to have our fears, but we should not pass them on to our children. The point is not to hide your feelings from the children, but to explain it to them, talk to them. Of course, especially teenagers, often don’t want to talk to their parents. But you have to try »- noted the psychiatrist.
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She emphasized that parents often underestimate their child’s problems by saying “do not overdo it” or “think positive”. “It does not work for a child who is struggling with everything” – she pointed out.
«Above all, we need to listen to these children of ours. Because they can say, only adults do not always want to listen to them »- concluded the doctor. (PAP)
Author: Elżbieta Bielecka.
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