CHENNAI: Sudhir* was 14-years-old when the Covid-19 pandemic struck. For an ardent cricket fan like him, the lockdown was a big blow. The boy, who used to rush to the playground with a bat and ball whenever he found an opportunity, got hooked on to online and video games. He stopped playing cricket as access to playgrounds was denied for months on end, and slowly turned away from studies. Whenever he was denied access to the Internet, his anxiety levels rose violently and he often became angry.
This is not an isolated case. Like him, several children continue to suffer from myriad mental health problems, though it’s been three years since the pandemic passed by and schools have started functioning regularly. Many of these issues have their roots tied to the lockdown, and the increased dependence on the internet for education and leisure.
Doctors and psychiatric clinics are seeing a manifold increase in cases, especially among children and adolescents. Studies show that the number of children with mental health problems has more than doubled since the pandemic.
Teachers report that children suffer from mental health problems including inattention, clinginess, emotional difficulties, and feelings of isolation. There has also been an increase in use of social media and substances, said Dr Pratima Murthy, director, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS).
Sudden disruption in routine
Children who were supposed to spend the whole day at school with friends and teachers, or engage in outdoor activities suddenly found themselves locked up at home, with an increase in screen time including online classes meetings and social media. Personal attention from teachers suddenly disappeared.
Children who saw their parents or carers isolated, ill, or sometimes dead did not know how to handle the stressful situations, and subsequently ended up with bouts of anxiety, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder. Many are yet to recover, though, on the surface, life has returned to normal in the last three years.
“Spending quality time with parents, one-to-one interactions with teachers at school, and socialising can go a long way in preserving the mental well-being of children and adolescents,” said Dr Aakash Agrawal, consultant (neurology), Manipal Hospital, Bhubaneswar.
But children should know the difference between real and virtual life. “Even after three months of treatment, Sudhir did not get better and couldn’t match his pre-Covid level in studies and sports. Making friends in real life is better than making virtual friendships. Children are struggling to get back to offline classes and in-person relationships,” says Dr Lakshmi Vijayakumar, founder of Sneha.
As young as five
According to Dr Neethu S, a senior resident specialising in psychiatry and behavioural medicine at Amrita Hospital, Kochi, psychiatry outpatient clinics have seen a significant rise in children presenting with anxiety disorders in recent years.
“While biological factors play a role, environmental influences like academic pressure, excessive screen time, the growing trend of digital connectivity, and familial stressors like parental conflicts, peer comparison, and bullying are noted to amplify stress levels in children.
These often contribute to fear of missing out (FOMO) and feelings of inadequacy in vulnerable children. They are susceptible to generalised anxiety disorder, separation anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorder, etc. The residual effects of Covid-19 have further disrupted routines and peer interactions. Creating a supportive environment at home and school is crucial in managing these effectively,” she said.
Children as young as five-years-old are showing anxiety symptoms, largely due to a change in lifestyle, said Dr Meena J, senior consultant (pediatrics & neonatology), Aakash Healthcare, Delhi.
“Post-pandemic, we have seen a surge in the prevalence of mental health disease in children, in which anxiety remains the most common issue. Its prevalence varies from 2%–20%. However, most of the cases remain undiagnosed because they don’t reach the healthcare facilities. The adolescents are more prone to anxiety disorder considering the physiological and psychological changes they go through, which include generalised anxiety, separation anxiety, social phobia, and OCDs,” she said.
“However, it’s challenging to spot symptoms of anxiety in very young children, which often go unnoticed even by parents. They may exhibit non-specific pain in the body, abdominal pain, headaches, poor school performance, not eating well, among others. These conditions may be attributable to anxiety, which can be diagnosed if we delve deeper into the symptoms,” she added.
(With inputs from Anna Jose @ Kochi, Hemant Kumar Rout @ Bhubaneswar, Ashish Srivatsava @ New Delhi)