North Americans, like many others globally, are now having to cope with yet another COVID wave — this one involving the more highly contagious Omicron variant. Once again, increased restrictive measures are being implemented to reduce peoples’ contact, especially where crowds and groups are involved. However, what is of particular concern are those measures which are shutting down our schools, whether primary, secondary or post-secondary, due to outbreaks. It has become evident that young people are great spreaders simply because of their exposure in schools and in communities, especially where they have yet to be vaccinated as in the case of most children under eleven years old. Many young people unfortunately are having to revert to on-line learning, deemed a poor substitute for in-class learning.What is most disconcerting is what these measures are doing to the mental health and wellbeing of young people.
Without the structure and routine of attending classes, researchers and teachers have noticed a significant change in behavioural patterns of young people. Violent and inappropriate behaviours are more prevalent among primary and high school students in particular. This has become notably visible at high school sports events, where inappropriate sexist and racist remarks have been made with respect to minority participants. In some reported incidents, physical violence has even broken out. Teachers have reported a noticeable increase in verbal and physical abuse towards them by students. Promoting discipline has become a greater part of a teacher’s time in the classroom and of school administrators.
It’s not that we and especially parents are not aware of the issue, it’s just that we are having a harder time dealing with the impact of COVID and health measures. On the one hand, there is a clear and growing physical threat to young people, with many more likely to end up being hospitalized then before. On the other hand, there are the lockdown measures that mainly affect young people and their normal interaction with their peers. The entire normal ‘socialization’ process has been turned upside down. Regardless of when we return to some state of so-called ‘normalcy’, eventually the impact of COVID could be irreversible when it comes to young people, their mental health and their futures in society.
In the past, there has been a significant lack of mental health services available for and accessible to young people in most communities. One does not have to look far for the evidence. All one has to do is check the waiting lists for those seeking mental health services for their children. The impact of COVID has significantly increased the urgent need for such services. Similar to what we now have in expanded available resources in the form of ‘grief counselling’, we will need to greatly expand mental health services given the traumatic impact of the pandemic on our youth. Governments need to begin to more fully resource these services today. We cannot afford to wait until the pandemic is considered to be finally under some form of control. The impact on mental health is already here!
FROLITICKS 