Negative Mental Effects of Social Distancing for Children: What should parents do?

In order to prevent the epidemic, these measures are necessary and life-saving, but they also bring some negative consequences. An article published in Lancet draws attention to possible negative psychological situations that may arise[1].
According to the article, students may not be able to benefit from mental health services and support groups such as guidance services that they are using at school. In addition, the school provides a coping mechanism for young people coping with mental health problems due to the routine it provides. Activities such as following the school's weekly schedule and preparing for school physically and mentally can be protective for individuals who try to cope with mental problems. Article authors point out that loss of the routine may play a negative role, especially  for those who suffer from depression.
These predictions of the researchers are also in line with the results of a study[2] conducted in the Hubei region, where China had curfews recently and schools were closed. In the study conducted by telephone, by applying standardized scales to 1784 students, it was determined that 22.6 of the students had symptoms of depression. In addition, anxiety symptoms were encountered in 18.9 of the students.
At this point, it might be important to listen to psychology specialist Dr. Lisa Damaour's advice that has been shared on UNICEF's website[3].
- Be calm and preventive: Damaour first says that we should have calm yet informative conversations with children. It is important to talk to the children in a calm language and prepare them for future situations. For example, it is important to explain that they may feel fear or anxiety in this process, but they should not hesitate to talk about their feelings.
- While telling the children about the measures such as washing hands, social distance, wearing a mask, it is important to explain that these are not only for protecting themselves but also for protecting others in our communities. This can help them understand that we are all in this together, so they will not only focus on themselves but also others. This shift in the focus might help with the anxiety.
- Create a routine and follow this routine: Damaour reminds that children need a structure and therefore emphasizes the need to create a program for lessons, entertainment, activities such as spending time with friends (of course, on online meetings), and games away from the screen.
- Recognize children’s emotions and support them: Children may experience sadness, anxiety, and anger due to cancellation of their programs and plans, staying away from friends, loss of social life, and more. Dr. Damaour reminds that, if we should not act like the losses they experience are insignificant. We should not ignore their feelings, but rather show empathy and show that we understand and share these feelings.
- Differentiate true and false information together: Children will encounter many false information and scary myths, especially on the Internet and social media. This kind of myths and misinformation will also be encountered in correspondence with friends in online conversations. We need to support children to distinguish between right and wrong information. Help them with to know what is fact and what is fiction.
- Design distracting events: Dr. Damaour emphasizes the importance of distracting activities to avoid negative feelings in this process. During the social distancing period, it is possible for children and young people to turn to social media as a distracting activity, but Dr. Damaour reminds the importance of making plans together, reminding that spending all the time on social media can also have negative effects.
- Review your own behavior: Finally, children's mental health is of course directly related to the mental health and behavior of the adults around them, especially the parents with whom they are modeling. If we want to help children, it is very important to control our own anxiety and mental health and to apply the above suggestions for ourselves.