COVID-19 | How has the pandemic affected children’s psychology?

* Photo: Anadolu Agency (AA)

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Child and adolescent psychiatrist Assoc. Prof. Sevcan Karakoç has underlined that the inability to manage the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic process has directly affected children.

The Turkish Medical Association (TTB) Pandemic Working Group has been broadcasting weekly programs where experts shed light on "What We are Curious About During the Pandemic". Assoc. Prof. Karakoç was the guest of the 32nd program broadcast yesterday (December 6).

In her speech, Karakoç talked about the mental health problems encountered by children during the COVID-19 period.

Noting that the problems faced by children vary based on age groups, Sevcan Karakoç indicated that introversion, an inability to socially connect with people, anxiety disorders, depression and obsessive behaviors have been observed in pre-school and school-age children.

Anxiety, pessimism and an increase in cases of suicide have been observed in adolescents in this period, according to Karakoç.

Children's right to education and healthcare

Sharing further details about children's psychological health and well-being during the pandemic, Assoc. Prof. Sevcan Karakoç indicated that the suspension and belated resumption of in-class education has harmed children's right to education, raising concerns that the problems encountered in the field of education will be more clearly seen in the future.

Referring to children's right to education and healthcare, Karakoç said:

Considered in terms of children's rights, every child has the right to receive formal education and to exercise the right to education in an equal manner with her or his peers. Every child has the right to grow up in a healthy environment. She or he has the right to freely play with her or his peers. However, children have been deprived of this right due to the pandemic. Children have been out of school and the number of working children and the ones married at a young age has increased.

Noting that education protects children from several psychological and physical diseases, Karakoç has briefly emphasized the following:

• There is no scientific ground underpinning the decision to close the schools first and to open them again the latest.
• Both physical and psychological problems were suffered by several children who could not go to school.
• Anxiety disorder, depression and pessimism are important psychological problems.
• Caused by constantly staying at home, obesity is also an important physical problem.
• In that sense, closing the schools with an unscientific mindset violated children's right to education and healthcare.
• The psychological problems can be separately categorized for every age group.
• It is in the upcoming period when we will see the negative consequences of the interruption of education in this way. We, as citizens, need to defend our children's rights in the face of closure decisions that are not based on any scientific ground.

(KÖ/SD)