Covid-19 increases depression in children

The Covid-19 pandemic over the past two years has had a significant impact on the mental health and living conditions of children and young people. According to the latest data from Unicef, at least one in seven children is directly affected by the blockades. More than 1.6 billion children are disadvantaged in education. Disruptions in activities, education, entertainment as well as concerns about the future and health cause many young people to fall into fear, anger, and even depression.

According to statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), during the epidemic, the rate of students going to see mental health-related illnesses in this country was more than 30% in the age group 12-17. . The rate of children under 18 suffering from symptoms such as depression was 48.2%, anxiety 36.7%, insomnia 48.2%.

Besides, children who have been infected with Covid-19 are also susceptible depression more due to the impact of sequelae. The main symptoms of depression in children after Covid-19 often revolve around sadness, feelings of hopelessness, and mood swings. Children will feel tired, slow movement, spend a lot of time playing games, limit social contact. Children may have frequent physical complaints (colic, idiopathic headaches, emotional changes) that do not respond to treatment; sad, monotonous facial expressions, wrinkles reduced or disappeared; decreased ability to function during events, at home or school, changes in interests…

According to WHO, post-Covid-19 can occur in any child, including those who previously had Covid-19 with no symptoms, mild or severe symptoms. To help children overcome post-Covid-19 depression, parents need to spend more time listening to their children’s thoughts and feelings. Children also need adults to answer their questions. Instead of yelling and putting pressure on, parents need to encourage and encourage their children to feel more confident.

Besides, parents can take their children to school, take them to picnics on weekends or play with them in the evening. Instead of creating more academic pressure, parents can let their children participate in a sport or art, encouraging children to be active to improve their physical and mental health.

To better understand the increasing trend of depression in school age, parents can register to join the eBox “Adolescent depression“. eBox brings stories from speakers who are psychologists, activists and young people who have experienced depression, presented in the form of premiere videos.

Thereby, parents can find the necessary knowledge in recognizing depression, how to raise, and accompany their children to overcome the “heart of the storm” from the real experience of experts and forerunners. The 8th eBox will air from May 16. Interested readers can purchase tickets to participate here.

Hoai Phuong