Merck Manuals Shares What Parents Need to Know about COVID-19 and Children's Mental Health

Latest editorial outlines signs of mental health challenges and ways to foster resilience in children

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May 20, 2021, 10:00 ET

KENILWORTH, N.J., May 20, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- All families have been impacted by COVID-19, and parents have worked heroically to help children navigate the disruptions. Still, the pandemic has significantly worsened the mental health crisis facing children in the United States. Anxiety, depression, self-injurious behaviors, eating disorders and substance abuse in children have all increased dramatically over the last year.

In a new editorial on MerckManuals.com, Josephine Elia, MD, Division Chief, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Nemours, A.I. duPont Hospital for Children, explains how as our response to the pandemic continues to evolve, the support parents provide will need to evolve with it. She details what parents should watch out as students return to classrooms and social settings and shares key steps for fostering resilience in children.

Signs of Mental Health Challenges

Parents should watch for signs of mental health challenges, including anxiety, depression, and self-injurious thoughts or behaviors. Pay close attention to changes in sleep and eating habits, as they can be signs of mental health disorders. As the school year progresses, watch for changes in academic performance or how children approach learning.

It's also important to remember that COVID-19 can cause other strains on children's mental health. Children may be worried about contracting the virus themselves, or they may fear for the safety of a parent or another adult. In other cases, children may have lost a loved one to COVID-19 and are grieving. Make sure school staff is aware of any significant family losses or stresses and consider grief counseling or other ongoing support.

Fostering Resilience in Children

Parents and caregivers can also help foster greater resilience against COVID-19 and other challenges in their children. Here are a few tips:

Find a mentor – Make sure children feel connected to other adults. Formal youth mentor programs can be tremendously beneficial.
Foster friendships – Get to know your child's friends and help them cultivate these relationships.
Experience nature – Spend time in parks or other outdoor areas, or help a child care for a plant to bring some nature inside the home.
Get exercise – Physical movement, even in small amounts, improves brain function, which in turn can boost mood, enhance learning and decreases anxiety.
Listen to music – Music allows us to get in touch with emotions we may not be able to express verbally.
Be active – Sports encourage exercise and socialization.
Promote curiosity – Help children understand the world around them and process events by investigating things and recording the activities of the day.
Encourage spirituality – Faith and expressing gratitude can help reduce stress.
Monitor screen time – Limit internet use and minimize exposure to news media.

Read more about chilren's mental health in Dr. Elia's editorial on MerckManuals.com

About The Merck Manuals and MSD Manuals

First published in 1899 as a small reference book for physicians and pharmacists, The Merck Manual grew in size and scope to become one of the world's most widely used comprehensive medical resources for professionals and consumers. As The Manual evolved, it continually expanded the reach and depth of its offerings to reflect the mission of providing the best medical information to a wide cross-section of users, including medical professionals and students, veterinarians and veterinary students, and consumers. In 2015, The Manuals kicked off Global Medical Knowledge 2020, a global initiative with the goal to make the best current medical information accessible by up to three billion professionals and patients around the world by 2020. The Manuals achieved that goal, and today its medical information is available in more than 241 counties and in dozen languages. It's continuing its ambitious mission through outreach, education and creating new reliable medical resources. For access to thousands of medical topics with images, videos and a constantly expanding set of resources, visit MerckManuals.com or MSDManuals.com and connect with us on social media:

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About Merck

For 130 years, Merck, known as MSD outside of the United States and Canada, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world's most challenging diseases in pursuit of our mission to save and improve lives. We demonstrate our commitment to patients and population health by increasing access to health care through far-reaching policies, programs and partnerships. Today, Merck continues to be at the forefront of research to prevent and treat diseases that threaten people and animals – including cancer, infectious diseases such as HIV and Ebola, and emerging animal diseases – as we aspire to be the premier research-intensive biopharmaceutical company in the world. For more information, visit www.merck.com and connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.

SOURCE The Merck Manuals