- The lack of consistency over the last year has been detrimental to children’s mental health.
- Many kids remain afraid of losing a loved one, but they’re also afraid that this pandemic will never end.
- After a year of being home with their parents, a return to school and work may kick up some separation anxiety for some children.
It’s been a year since COVID-19 changed life as we know it — a year of school closures, physical distancing, and adjusting to the new normal.
However, despite our efforts to adjust the best we can, many people are still harboring fears related to the novel coronavirus — especially young children.
Licensed child psychologist and founder of Atlas Psychology, Amy Nasamran, PhD, told Healthline that because the last year has involved so many unavoidable changes and adjustments, kids are lacking the predictability and consistency they typically rely on to feel safe.
“Children tend to thrive and do better with structure because they know what to expect,” she explained. “Quickly changing situations and ambiguity with what the future may look like can cause some children to feel anxious.”
Not knowing what to expect is just one of the things contributing to fears children may be carrying right now, though.
Psychotherapist and licensed social worker Margaret Cochran, PhD, said that kids are still contending with two big fears.
The first is straightforward: She said that a lot of children remain fearful of losing their parents or loved ones to COVID-19. But the second fear is one many may not even know how to articulate.
Kids are afraid the inconsistency, distancing, and massive loss of lives will never end.
“To a child, a year is an eternity,” Cochran explained. “As there has been so little positive change in the last weeks and months, the pandemic can feel like it’s forever and they will never see their friends again, go to school, or feel safe to play with others.”
Source: healthline