To deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, the government of India is undertaking strict measures of social distancing and quarantine. People suspected of been exposed to the infection are isolated and the rest have been asked to practice social distancing. Although these measures are in the benefit of the community at large, the psychological effects of lockdown on children cannot be ignored. With restricted mobility and social distancing, children will experience social isolation and loss of connectedness with peers leading to subjective alienation. As children have limited resources to understand the complexities of social situation, their incapability to understand the present scenario during the pandemic and the necessity of measures like social distancing, lockdown and quarantine may lead to frustration and outburst of temper tantrums.
The pandemic has also led to children missing out their school and classes which will directly affect their physical as well as mental health. Disrupted daily routine with no sense of structure and environmental stimulation may make them feel anxious, depressed and lonely. Moreover, with the change in their regular routine, children may become clingier, learn to seek negative attention and become increasingly dependent on their parents. During this period of lockdown, children are physically less active, have longer exposure to screen time, irregular sleep patterns and unhealthy diets which in turn can lead to unhealthy weight gain and poor cardiorespiratory fitness.
In this scenario, children need special attention. During the formative years of life, the role of parents is very crucial. Any disruption during this phase can have long term effects on the perceived attachment of the child. However, this does not discount the significant role of parents throughout the life. Conflict and poor attachment with the primary caregivers can make a child more vulnerable and can pose a threat to their mental health. Children exposed to negative emotions are at a higher risk of developing acute stress disorder, adjustment disorder and feelings of sadness and grief. In times of stress, poor parenting can have long-term adverse effects on the mental health of children making them more vulnerable to develop mood disorders, psychosis and suicide in adulthood.
With the ongoing period of uncertainty, parents act as significant protective factors. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important for all parents to practice ‘Attuned Parenting.’ Attunement refers to state of awareness where parents pay attention to the feelings of the child and become responsive. In times of stress, especially due to the ongoing pandemic, children may find it difficult to express verbally and their underlying feelings may manifest itself physically, behaviourally and/or cognitively in the form of anger outburst, defiance, sleep problems and psycho-somatic complaints. Thus the parents’ role is to observe for sign of distress and related feelings. With the help of few activities parents can address negative feeling of the child and foster positivity and a sense of well being.
(This is an authored article by Psychologist Gunjan Joshi.)