By Arthur Bregman, M.D.
While the Covid-19 virus has been less of a medical concern for children than adults, statistics show that it is taking a major toll on their mental health. Children’s hospitals across the country are showing a significant surge in admissions for everything from generalized anxiety to suicide.
Returning to school in August may be much more challenging than the typical “end-of-summer bummer.” Parents, pediatricians, and family doctors will be paramount in helping them through obstacles and the time to start is now.
Children who suffer from pre-existing mental health disorders like anxiety/OCD, PTSD, or depression are expected to have the hardest time when school resumes. But what about children who didn’t have mental health issues prior to the pandemic?
In my private psychiatry practice, I am now seeing a children’s version of Cave Syndrome, a term I coined which describes people with a fear of leaving their house (or cave) due to stressors that developed or worsened during the pandemic. Unlike adults with Cave Syndrome who are fearful of leaving the house to go to work or run errands, kids with Cave Syndrome are worried about returning to school.
New Factors
Even children without a tendency towards anxiety have seen their routines get disrupted. Some
have seen their family suffer from Covid-19, lose their jobs, and experience financial difficulties. With more than 600,000 deaths nationally, there are few people who haven’t been impacted by loss.
Everyone was talking about the “new normal” a few months ago. Well, there’s nothing normal about it. Now we’re seeing the consequences when treating young patients for anxiety and fear-based problems they may never have developed if not for the pandemic. In a way, it’s an arrested childhood development.
Recognize Your Child’s Concerns
Parents and your child’s doctor can spot difficulties by observing the child closely. Do they make excuses to stay at home? Do they talk frequently about not wanting to return to school? Are the choices they make based in fear and anxiety as opposed to rationality and necessity? If they seem like they would rather be grounded than return to school, they may need professional help.
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Guidance to Move Your Child Forward
You know your child better than anyone else. The most important thing you can do immediately is to talk to him or her privately. Speak to them with honesty, love, and caring. Let them know that it’s ok to have these feelings and that you will be there to support them every step along the way. It’s also good for them to realize they are not alone in feeling anxious and fearful at this time.
For younger children, talk to them about the first day of school with a sense of levity and good humor. Framing it in a positive light may work wonders. In addition, you can give him or her something from home, a memento, to hold onto as a comfort mechanism.
Regardless of age, we need to give our children a sense of support and security while supplying
tools for confidence building. After all, we are trying to make them feel better about going off into
the world to become well-balanced adults. We can help them become more mindful of their
surroundings, to challenge irrational fears and avoidances, and try their best to do the right
thing.
Children can be inconsistent and changes may not happen right away, but they seem to be quite resilient in the face of adversity. The kids will be alright. The best we can do is prepare ourselves and the young ones for the waiting world.
If your child doesn’t respond and continues to be fearful and anxious to leave the house and go to school, professional help may be necessary. The important thing is to reach out quickly to get the help that’s needed.
Dr. Arthur Bregman, M.D. has practiced psychiatry in Florida for more than four decades, treating patients of every age group and specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry.
Throughout his career Dr. Bregman pioneered mental healthcare delivery. In 1993, he started Psych Solutions, a service where doctors treat patients on location. His latest undertaking — telepsychiatry – started over a year before the pandemic and continues to be a popular option for his patients.
