Blog
Team Social Xleration, 12th July 2021
Introduction
Covid-19 is once in a century occurrence that has caused havoc not only across the length and breadth of India but has spread its tentacles across the globe. The first wave was bad enough but the second wave in the country has been even harsher. While all the age groups have been hit hard by this unseen global nemesis, the adolescents who are in the early years of their lives are particularly perplexed as they find their normal lives go completely topsy-turvy. Unable to socialize with their friends, forced to adopt and adapt to the online medium of learning, and in general experiencing a high level of uncertainty about how things will pan out has ensued in an overall sense of anxiety among them.
The Adverse Mental Impacts on Adolescents
To understand and assess the prevailing status of adolescents, an NGO Population First, which works extensively on the issue of health conducted a study, “Rapid assessment of the impact of Covid-19 on young people in Bihar, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh” during the lockdown in 2020. The study found out that one out of every four young people in UP reported depression during the lockdown. It emerged that due to Covid-19, 6 out of 10 students expressed anxiety about their ability to find work. The findings revealed that during the lockdown in Uttar Pradesh, 68 percent of respondents said they used social media more. Social media use is considerably greater among individuals who said they were depressed, at 92 percent.
When it comes to children from an underprivileged background, it is no secret that the lockdown has had a severe impact on them. It has come to fore that 40 million children from poor households in the country are left with no source of income and are at higher risk of facing abuse and mental health issues.
Following Covid-19, the Union Government boosted the health budget from 1.2 to 2.5 percent of GDP from 2020 to 2021. However, within this, mental health has received a measly 0.05 percent of the health budget on average over the last couple of years. The budget allocation for child and adolescent mental health receives only a sliver of attention if any at all. According to a WHO assessment, the Covid-19 epidemic has disrupted or interrupted key mental health services in 93 percent of countries globally, despite the rising need.
The Way Out and Steps Initiated
So, the most pressing topic that arises in this setting is how to help young children and youth deal with emotions. According to experts, children’s resilience is influenced not only by adversity but also by their parents’ emotional responses. Therefore, how adults deal with their emotions influences how they teach their children to deal with theirs, a crucial reality that one can’t overlook, especially in the midst of a pandemic. Hence, adults must use positive physical and verbal language to make children happy at home.
Experts suggest that it is crucial for young people to have a routine even when they are not in school or out playing. They may not feel compelled to get up early because there is no school, but adults must emphasize the need of having a daily schedule that includes personal hygiene, domestic, educational, and recreational activities. Young individuals due to lower life experience tend to believe any information that is presented to them seriously. Therefore, adults must refrain from sharing too many facts and figures with kids, particularly those pertaining to issues that are beyond their comprehension. Only true, required, and beneficial information should be shared with them.
Specialists also advise that since young people do not have the opportunity to socialize with their peers, they end up with feelings of loneliness. Adults should make every effort to engage them in conversations, games, or activities during this time. They should also get them involved in learning new skills such, money management, and encourage them to lend a hand with household chores such as laundry, cleaning, and cooking.
According to people working with children from an underprivileged background, it is essential that such children who are at a higher risk, are identified and provided with psychological first aid and are referred to mental health care professionals and ensure that they are provided the required psychological support. Here, the NGOs, community volunteers, police, and mental health professionals have a key role to play.
It is also essential that due to young people’s increased need for mental healthcare, the offering of such services through formal mediums must be enhanced. The Central Government has made some efforts in this regard. In light of the increased focus on mental health issues as a result of Covid-19, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has released some noteworthy guidelines for prevention activities to address mental health in India in recent months, under the guidance of the National Taskforce for the finalization, implementation, and monitoring of the psychosocial action plan for Covid-19 response. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has also created a national psychological behavioral helpline.
These efforts are great examples of cross-sector collaboration for mental health improvement. To aid in the management of mental health concerns during the pandemic, written and audio-visual guidelines were released for the general public, those living with mental disorders, and healthcare practitioners. Importantly, these recommendations are tailored to a variety of age groups, including seniors and children.
Concluding Words
It is imperative that the parents, elders, educational establishments, governments, and health authorities must continually preserve and defend the mental health of children and adolescents through open communication and professional therapy to address their stress and anxiety in the times of Covid-19 to enable them to emerge unscathed from this very extraordinary crisis.