The Impact of the Pandemic on Children, and What it Bodes for Their Future Mental Health
What is less known is the long-term impact this will have on children down the road.
“The effects of the pandemic on mental health in children are highly diverse, and we are unlikely to see the full effects for years to come,” says Dr. Jared Heathman, a Houston-based psychiatrist.
Laura Goldstein, a family therapist based in Washington, D.C., says the pandemic is especially hard on teenagers who are forced to stay away from peers at a time when they are developmentally geared toward independence and forming an identity separate from their families. She sees a trend where teens are either “rebelling harder” to gain independence or “regressing” into dependence on parents.