Psychological impacts of Covid-19 on children.

There are around 2.2 billion children in the world; which is approximately 28% of the world's population. COVID-19 has impacted the lives of people around the world including children and adolescents in an unprecedented manner. This pandemic and lockdown has brought a sense of fear and anxiety around the globe. This phenomenon has not only effected short term but long term psychosocial and mental health implications for children and adolescents. The quality and magnitude of impact on minors is determined by many vulnerability factors like developmental age, educational status, pre-existing mental health condition, being economically underprivileged or being quarantined due to infection or fear of infection.

Impact on children

It is observed through international data that the number of children who are symptomatic, tested positive, or die from the virus is very small as compared to older age groups. Since this virus has physically affected children at relatively low rate and it may appear to be small or insignificant, but it has affected their minds a lot. Hence, it is getting difficult to immune from the stress that has occurred because of this pandemic and quarantining.

In one of the preliminary studies during the on-going pandemic, it was found that younger children aged 3 to 6 years old were more likely to manifest symptoms of clinginess and the fear of family members being infected than older children aged 6 to 18 years old. Whereas, the older children were more likely to experience inattention and were persistently inquiring regarding COVID-19. Although, severe psychological conditions of increased irritability, inattention and clinging behavior were revealed by all children irrespective of their age groups, it was also shown that children experienced disturbed sleep, nightmares, poor appetite, agitation, inattention and separation related anxiety.

There is an unavailability of researches on how this pandemic is affecting children's mental health, mostly because the virus has been so fast-moving. We can not to say that children who have not been officially diagnosed with the virus have not been affected at all. Children other than psychologically affected are also vulnerable and at an increased risk of abuse during school closures.

COVID-19 has also presented some challenges related to food security for some children which increases the chances of issues related to post traumatic distress. It has also been observed that there is a...