Mental health and wellbeing of children and adolescents during the covid-19 pandemic.
Creators: name: Joseph, Shawn
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2022
Subjects: subject: 111704 Community Child Health
subject: FOS: Health sciences
subject: 111799 Public Health and Health Services not elsewhere classified
subject: 110319 Psychiatry (incl. Psychotherapy)
subject: FOS: Clinical medicine

description: Since the beginning of Covid and the public health restrictions, there is growing evidence that the incidences of mental health, including post traumatic disorder, has been increasing. In the psychiatric and public health world a new term “coronophobia” is emerging. (1) It is generally understood that time spent outside is associated with positive mental health. However, opportunities to be beyond the four walls of one’s home were affected by the pandemic. The restrictions and lockdowns mandated the public, including young people and adolescents not to leave their homes unless exempted.(2) With the initiation of rollout of vaccines, the governments of most countries are moving towards easing the lockdowns. Some governments like the UK do not foresee another lockdown for COVID. Therefore, it is highly likely that social isolation and lack of face-to-face interaction will fade away. This situation will work towards improved mental health, in hope that the prediction of a decrease in the new cases of mental health problems will be true. Nonetheless, we should not forget the impact of the existing mental health cases in adolescents and young adults as there is a growing evidence suggesting the lasting, lifelong impact that this group can have due to the initial insult. Another factor to bear in mind is even as we recover from the pandemic, going back into another season of shorter days and longer nights, approaching the winter months generally means staying indoors more. And once again, with this reality, social interaction decreases. It will not be surprising to see a resurgence and an increase in psychological symptoms. As there is so much unpredictability about the future course of the virus and its variant, it may be hard to predict and model what effects the future waves of outbreak will have on mental health. One can be certain, however, that public health teams must make efforts to reinforce the screening for mental health problems not just for vulnerable adults, but also adolescents and young adults and use the approach of psychoeducation and redirection of fear related behavioural responses. (3) “Coronophobia” is most certainly going to be a new term in the medical dictionary to look for. <br> <strong>Competing interests:</strong> No competing interests <strong>06 September 2021</strong>Shawn JosephEmergency medicine physician and MPH student University of Nottingham QMC Emergency department, University of Nottingham @shawnjosephmdd1 <br> References 1. Asmundson GJG, Taylor S. Coronaphobia: Fear and the 2019-nCoV outbreak. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 2020;70:102196.<br> 2. Cindrich SL, Lansing JE, Brower CS, McDowell CP, Herring MP, Meyer JD. Associations Between Change in Outside Time Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Public Health Restrictions and Mental Health: Brief Research Report. Frontiers in Public Health. 2021;9(8).<br> 3. Rubin GJ, Wessely S. The psychological effects of quarantining a city. BMJ. 2020;368:m313.