Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T19:35:10.909Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 10 - Reflections on the Impact of Covid-19 on Children’s Education and Mental Health

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 March 2022

By
Tamsin Ford  and
Darren A. Moore
Edited by
Katie Finning ,
Tamsin Ford  and
Darren A. Moore
Katie Finning
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
Tamsin Ford
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
Darren A. Moore
Affiliation:
University of Exeter
Get access

Summary

At the time of writing, much of the world’s children and young people face continuing disruption to everyday life as their governments attempt to contain the Covid-19 pandemic. The scale and speed with which this particular virus swept the world and the global nature of disruption to education, social care and health services are fortunately highly unusual. There are both direct and indirect effects of infection on mental health, as well the reciprocal relationship between mental health and education, as discussed in previous chapters, which are likely to amplify the impacts of the pandemic and resulting restrictions on children and young people. This chapter reviews the evidence that has emerged to date.

Keywords

Covid-19school closureschool dismissallearning loss
Type
Chapter
Information
Mental Health and Attendance at School , pp. 181 - 191
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Collishaw, S. Annual research review: secular trends in child and adolescent mental health. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2015;56(3):370–393.Google Scholar
Holmes, E. A., O’Connor, R. C., Perry, V. H., Tracey, I., Wessely, S. et al. Multidisciplinary research priorities for the COVID-19 pandemic: a call for action for mental health science. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(6):547–560.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sadler, K., Vizard, T., Ford, T., Goodman, A., Goodman, R., McManus, S. Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2017: Trends and Characteristics. Leeds: NHS Digital; 2018.Google Scholar
McManus, S., Gunnell, D., Cooper, C., Bebbington, P. E., Howard, L. M. et al. Prevalence of non-suicidal self-harm and service contact in England, 2000–14: repeated cross-sectional surveys of the general population. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2019;6(7):573–581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Patel, V., Saxena, S., Lund, C., Thornicroft, G., Baingana, F., et al. The Lancet Commission on global mental health and sustainable development. The Lancet. 2018;392(10157):1553–1598.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bryant, D. J., Oo, M., Damian, A. J. The rise of adverse childhood experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy. 2020;12(S1):S193–S194.Google Scholar
Polanczyk, G. V., Salum, G. A., Sugaya, L. S., Caye, A., Rohde, L. A. Annual research review: A meta‐analysis of the worldwide prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2015;56(3):345–365.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costello, E. J., Maughan, B. Annual research review: optimal outcomes of child and adolescent mental illness. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2015;56(3):324–341.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kim-Cohen, J., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T. E., Harrington, H., Milne, B. J., Poulton, R. Prior juvenile diagnoses in adults with mental disorder: developmental follow-back of a prospective-longitudinal cohort. Archives of General Psychiatry. 2003;60(7):709–717.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ford, T., Macdiarmid, F., Russell, A. E., Racey, D., Goodman, R. The predictors of persistent DSM-IV disorders in 3-year follow-ups of the British Child and Adolescent Mental Health Surveys 1999 and 2004. Psychological Medicine. 2017;47(6):1126–1137.Google Scholar
Sellers, R., Warne, N., Pickles, A., Maughan, B., Thapar, A., Collishaw, S. Cross‐cohort change in adolescent outcomes for children with mental health problems. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 2019;60(7):813–821.Google Scholar
Pierce, M., McManus, S., Jessop, C., John, A., Hotopf, M., et al. Says who? The significance of sampling in mental health surveys during COVID-19. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(7):567–568.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Thombs, B. D., Bonardi, O., Rice, D. B., Boruff, J. T., Azar, M., et al. Curating evidence on mental health during COVID-19: A living systematic review. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. 2020;133:110113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110113CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newlove-Delgado, T., McManus, S., Sadler, K., Vizard, T., Cartright, C., et al. Child mental health in England before and during the COVID-19 lockdown. Lancet Psychiatry. 2021;8(5):353–354. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30570-8Google Scholar
Pierce, M., Hope, H., Ford, T., Hatch, S., Hotopf, M., et al. Mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal probability sample survey of the UK population. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2020;7(10):883–892.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Widnall, E., Winstone, L., Mars, B., Haworth, C., Kidger, J. Young People’s Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic. NIHR: School of Public Health Research.Google Scholar
Vizard, T., Sadler, K, Ford, T., Newlove-Delgado, T., McManus, S., et al. Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2020: Wave 1 follow up to the 2017 Survey. Leeds: NHS Digital; 2020.Google Scholar
Waite, P., Patalay, P., Moltrecht, B., McElroy, E., Creswell, C. Report 02: Covid-19 worries, parent/carer stress and support needs, by child special educational needs and parent/carer work status. COVID-19 Supporting Parents, Adolescents and Children during Epidemics (Co-SPACE Study), 2020. https://emergingminds.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Co-SPACE-report-02_03–05-20.pdfGoogle Scholar
Loades, M. E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., Reynolds, S., Shafran, R., et al. Rapid systematic review: the impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. 2020;59(11):1218–1239.Google Scholar
Yogman, M., Garner, A., Hutchinson, J., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health. The power of play: A pediatric role in enhancing development in young children. Pediatrics. 2018;142(3).CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dunton, G. F., Do, B. & Wang, S. D. Early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical activity and sedentary behavior in children living in the U.S. BMC Public Health. 2020;20:1351. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889–020-09429-3Google Scholar
Mansfield, K. L., Jindra, C., Fazel, M. The OxWell School Survey 2020 Report of Preliminary Findings. Oxford: University of Oxford Medical Science Division; 2020.Google Scholar
Petri-Romao, P., Bali, E., Enright, J., O’Neill, I., Dyas, R., et al. Safe Models for School Return during COVID-19 Pandemic. University of Glasgow; 2020.Google Scholar
Viner, R. M., Russell, S. J., Croker, H., Packer, J., Ward, J., et al. School closure and management practices during coronavirus outbreaks including COVID-19: a rapid systematic review. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 2020;4(5):397–404.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacobs, A. K., Pfefferbaum, B. The use of debriefing with children. Current Psychiatry Reports. 2015;17(6):40.Google Scholar
Cohen, J. A., Deblinger, E., Mannarino, A. P. Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy for children and families. Psychotherapy Research. 2018;28(1):47–57.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sudre, C. H., Murray, B., Varsavsky, T., Graham, M. S., Penfold, R. S., et al. Attributes and predictors of Long-COVID: analysis of COVID cases and their symptoms collected by the Covid Symptoms Study App. medRxiv; 2020.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ludvigsson, J. F. Case report and systematic review suggest that children may experience similar long‐term effects to adults after clinical COVID‐19. Acta Paediatrica. 2021;110(3):914–921. https://doi.org/10.1111/apa.15673Google Scholar
Downs, J., Simonoff, E. Response to the experience of the Covid-19 pandemic among families attending CAMHS; a survey of UK clinic attenders. Personal communication; 2020.Google Scholar
Lavy, V. Do differences in schools’ instruction time explain international achievement gaps? Evidence from developed and developing countries. The Economic Journal. 2015;125(588): F397–F424.Google Scholar
Alexander, K. L., Entwisle, D. R., Olson, L. S. Lasting consequences of the summer learning gap. American Sociological Review. 2007;72(2):167–180.Google Scholar
Britton, J., Vignoles, A. Education production functions. In Handbook of Contemporary Education Economics. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Publishing; 2017.Google Scholar
Orben, A., Tomova, L., Blakemore, S. J. The effects of social deprivation on adolescent development and mental health. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 2020;4(8):634–640.Google Scholar
Harold, G., Acquah, D., Sellers, R., Chowdry, H. What works to enhance inter-parental relationships and improve outcomes for children? Early Intervention Foundation Report. 22 March 2016, 2016. www.eif.org.uk/report/what-works-to-enhance-interparental-relationships-and-improve-outcomes-for-childrenGoogle Scholar
Alloway, T. P., Gathercole, S. E., Kirkwood, H., Elliott, J. The cognitive and behavioral characteristics of children with low working memory. Child Development. 2009;80(2):606–621.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Barth, J. M., Dunlap, S. T., & Dane, H., Lochman, J. E., Wells, K. C. Classroom environment influences on aggression, peer relations and academic focus. Journal of School Psychology. 2004;42(2):115–133.Google Scholar
The Sutton Trust. COVID-19 and Social Mobility Impact Belief #1: School Shutdown. 2020. www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/COVID-19-Impact-Brief-School-Shutdown.pdfGoogle Scholar
Andrew, A., Cattan, S., Costa-Dias, M., Farquharson, C., Kraftman, L., et al. Learning during the Lockdown: Real-Time Data on Children’s Experiences during Home Learning. Institute for Fiscal Studies; 2020. www.ifs.org.uk/publications/14848Google Scholar
Moore, D., Benham-Clarke, S., Kenchington, R., Boyle, C., Ford, T., et al. Improving Behaviour in Schools: Evidence Review. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2019.Google Scholar
Rhodes, I., Long, M. Improving Behaviour in Schools: Guidance Report. London: Education Endowment Foundation; 2019. https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/tools/guidance-reports/improving-behaviour-in-schools/Google Scholar
Kidger, J., Brockman, R., Tilling, K., Campbell, R., Ford, T., et al. Teachers’ wellbeing and depressive symptoms, and associated risk factors: A large cross sectional study in English secondary schools. Journal of Affective Disorders. 2016;192:76–82.Google Scholar
Titheradge, D., Hayes, R., Longdon, B., Allen, K., Price, A., et al. Psychological distress among primary school teachers: a comparison with clinical and population samples. Public Health. 2019;166:53–56.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Burke, J., Dempsey, M. Covid-19 practice in primary schools in Ireland report. Maynooth, Ireland; 2020.Google Scholar
Allen, R., Jerrim, J., Simms, S. How did the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic affect teacher wellbeing? Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO). Working Paper 20–15; 2020.Google Scholar
McLaughlin, C., Lytje, M., Holliday, C. Consequences of Childhood Bereavement in the Context of the British School System. University of Cambridge Faculty of Education; 2019.Google Scholar
Lang, I., Marlow, R., Goodman, R., Meltzer, H., Ford, T. Influence of problematic child-teacher relationships on future psychiatric disorder: population survey with 3-year follow-up. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 2013;202(5):336–341.Google Scholar
Cadima, J., McWilliam, R. A., Leal, T. Environmental risk factors and children’s literacy skills during the transition to elementary school. International Journal of Behavioral Development. 2010;34(1):24–33.Google Scholar
Arseneault, L. Annual Research Review: The persistent and pervasive impact of being bullied in childhood and adolescence: implications for policy and practice. Journal of Child psychology and Psychiatry. 2017;59(4):405–421.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roland, E., Galloway, D. Classroom influences on bullying. Educational Research. 2002;44(3):299–312.Google Scholar
Vreeman, R. C., Carroll, A. E. A systematic review of school-based interventions to prevent bullying. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. 2007;161(1):78–88.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bonell, C., Allen, E., Warren, E., McGowan, J., Bevilacqua, L., et al. Effects of the Learning Together intervention on bullying and aggression in English secondary schools (INCLUSIVE): a cluster randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. 2018;392(10163):2452–2464.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Office for National Statistics Pupil Absence in Schools in England. Academic Year 2018/19. 26 March 2020; 2020a. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/pupil-absence-in-schools-in-englandGoogle Scholar
Office for National Statistics Attendance in Education and Early Years Settings during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak. 10 December 2020 (Week 49 2020), 2020b. https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/attendance-in-education-and-early-years-settings-during-the-coronavirus-covid-19-outbreakGoogle Scholar
Sibieta, L. School Attendance Rates across the UK since Full Reopening: November 2020. Education Policy Institute; 2020. https://epi.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/UK-school-reopening-attendance-November_EPI.pdf.Google Scholar
Melvin, G. A., Heyne, D., Gray, K. M., Hastings, R. P., Totsika, V., et al. The Kids and Teens at School (KiTeS) Framework: An Inclusive Bioecological Systems Approach to Understanding School Absenteeism and School Attendance Problems. Frontiers in Education. 2019;4(61):1–9. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2019.00061.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Major, L. E., Eyles, A., Machin, S. Generation COVID: Emerging Work and Education Inequalities. Centre for Economic Performance; 2020. https://cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/download/cepcovid-19-011.pdf.Google Scholar
Last, J. M. A Dictionary of Epidemiology, 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2001.Google Scholar
Mendenhall, E. The COVID-19 syndemic is not global: context matters. The Lancet. 2020;396(10264):1731.Google Scholar
Ford, T., Vostanis, P., Meltzer, H., Goodman, R. Psychiatric disorder among British children looked after by local authorities: comparison with children living in private households. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 2007;190(4):319–325.Google Scholar
Public Health England and Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition Promoting Children and Young People’s Emotional Health and Wellbeing: A Whole School and College Approach. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/932360/Final_EHWB_draft_03–11-20.pdf, 2015.Google Scholar
Heckman, J. J., Stixrud, J., Urzua, S. The effects of cognitive and noncognitive abilities on labor market outcomes and social behavior. Journal of Labor Economics. 2006;24(3):411–482.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×