[Music]
Robin Gurwitch: We need to make sure that children and teens
actually are part of the conversation.
This is very new territory. Even young children are impacted by this.
And so there is quite a bit of work being done to think about how we talk to children.
We know that from the past. We know that, for example, after the Boston
Marathon bombing, families that actually talked to their children about what was happening
and about what was being done— those children did better from a mental health perspective.
I’ve been involved in response to, oh goodness,
9/11, Katrina, the earthquake in Sichuan, China.
Scientists recognize that some events happen,
and it’s important to jump in immediately to be able to understand it.
Mental health researchers have jumped in to be able to see what can we be learning now,
and continue to look at how does this impact the future?
Charissa Cheah: So prior to the pandemic outbreak, we had
an ongoing project that focused on the social-emotional
development, health, and well-being of Chinese-and Korean-American families.
With the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, we
started to see reports of increased acts of racism and xenophobia both on social media,
in the news. And also some of the families were reporting having some of these experiences.
We’re doing the first phase of data collection now, at what we think and hope is the height
of the pandemic. Then in about 6-7 months, we’re hoping that things will have improved,
and we’ll be able to follow up then. What happens with regard to their mental health
and experiences with discrimination, and anxieties, and fears. And whether it plateaus and dips down,
or whether there is some sort of post-traumatic
types, similar types of effects. What are resources that families have, that
communities have, that parents and children have that they can draw on.
Robin Gurwitch: They’re going to be looking toward the trusted
adults in their lives. […] You as an adult are probably the most important figure in
terms of how children and teens will cope. In something like a pandemic, one of the things
that’s so important for children is having a schedule or a routine. Welp, that has gone
by the wayside. As much as parents can begin to put back some
kind of routine: if I know I still have to get up, I still need to sign into my French
class, I still need to do homework—that regular routine helps.
Charissa Cheah: We would like to tell parents to make sure
that they are also not transmitting their fears and anxieties to children indirectly,
in ways that they might not be thinking about. Making sure to be supportive and validating
children’s concerns and fears before trying to come in and trying to fix it for them.
Teacher: For those who just arrived, you are chatting me your answer privately...
Dillon Browne: In situations where children are having difficulties
at home, having a teacher who is a positive relationship conveys kind of a protective
factor to an otherwise challenging situation. At the end of 2019 beginning of 2020, we started
a longitudinal study to track the mental health and emotional and behavioral outcomes
of 235 children enrolled in after-school programs in Toronto, Canada.
Following the announcement of the pandemic, we have seen a bit of a pattern in the data
where children are perhaps exhibiting slightly higher levels of emotional-behavioral difficulties.
These tend to be outcomes and patterns that are driven by children and families who are
more susceptible to the influences of the social determinants of health.
People of lower income, people who are generally marginalized.
So the families who are going to be least impacted are the ones who have computers in
the home, who have access to other resources, who have access to space
where they can get their energies out. We’re leaving out a large proportion of
our children who don’t have these privileges and these luxuries.
Robin Gurwitch: We know from all the disaster research: once
we can stand schools back up, children do better.
Dillon Browne: It’s been amazing to see and hear about
a lot of these educators who are phoning home, who are checking in, who are brainstorming
solutions, who are coming up with ways of doing homeschool.
Charissa Cheah: This is a time when we need to work together.
I think that we share really the responsibility for good public health practice,
but also good practices related to embracing and really valuing diversity.
Robin Gurwitch: From 9/11, we began to recognize that children
can be impacted in so many different ways. But 9/11 also showed us that it doesn’t
matter whether you’re right in New York, or whether you’re in Missoula, Montana.
That event still impacted you. I think everybody will be able to talk with
their children or grandchildren or nieces and nephews and others down the road about
where I was and what I did during COVID-19.
[Music]