A smooth and regulated routine of events is the key to normality in life that so mamy of us crave. Tumult in the causality of life can drive humans insane, especially when it is unprecedented and unexpected.
COVID-19 has created a ripple effect in routine life. The disruption may have been quiet, but it has created loud echoes in the conscious and subconscious of our minds. The most adversely affected are children and adolescents. Their social, emotional, and mental welfare are significantly impacted. Isolation, irregularity, uncertainty, and insecurity have not been good for them. Students living abroad have suffered immensely with the fear and insecurity of this whole scenario.
Given the technological advancement and access, they have been coping somehow with the academic challenge, but families' financial and mental upheaval has been significant. The virtual online world eventually causes them to feel frustrated and depressed without any human contact for such a long time of social distancing.
COVID-19 has created traumatic consequences for the young. Lack of a daily routine of events and actions and facing challenges in coping with the demands of a newer situation has overwhelmed the natural development of the consciousness in these age groups.
Distant or remote learning divorced from human interaction has taken away the essence of education. Our youth fill up paperwork with online learning, but their capacity for learning is jeopardized.
Children and adolescents are prone to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts due to these challenging situations. Mental and physical health has been drastically affected owing to the unfavorable circumstances of many households. Every youth's home may not be a perfect peaceful abode. A teen stuck in such toxic household setups will probably go through irreversible emotional damage to their mind and soul. Many are experiencing what can only be described as a personal and social setback.
Social and human connection is the most vital postulate of average growth, and it saves us from mental anguish. Our youth can benefit from maintaining a daily routine life – after all, order brings sanity. When the dust settles, we may find that human sanity and sensibility have been among the worst affected by COVID-19.
The author is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) at Permian Basin (USA)
COVID-19 has created a ripple effect in routine life. The disruption may have been quiet, but it has created loud echoes in the conscious and subconscious of our minds. The most adversely affected are children and adolescents. Their social, emotional, and mental welfare are significantly impacted. Isolation, irregularity, uncertainty, and insecurity have not been good for them. Students living abroad have suffered immensely with the fear and insecurity of this whole scenario.
Given the technological advancement and access, they have been coping somehow with the academic challenge, but families' financial and mental upheaval has been significant. The virtual online world eventually causes them to feel frustrated and depressed without any human contact for such a long time of social distancing.
COVID-19 has created traumatic consequences for the young. Lack of a daily routine of events and actions and facing challenges in coping with the demands of a newer situation has overwhelmed the natural development of the consciousness in these age groups.
Distant or remote learning divorced from human interaction has taken away the essence of education. Our youth fill up paperwork with online learning, but their capacity for learning is jeopardized.
Children and adolescents are prone to anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts due to these challenging situations. Mental and physical health has been drastically affected owing to the unfavorable circumstances of many households. Every youth's home may not be a perfect peaceful abode. A teen stuck in such toxic household setups will probably go through irreversible emotional damage to their mind and soul. Many are experiencing what can only be described as a personal and social setback.
Social and human connection is the most vital postulate of average growth, and it saves us from mental anguish. Our youth can benefit from maintaining a daily routine life – after all, order brings sanity. When the dust settles, we may find that human sanity and sensibility have been among the worst affected by COVID-19.
The author is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellow at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) at Permian Basin (USA)