Public Health England Child Welfare and Mental Health Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Public Health England Child Welfare and Mental Health Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Here’s Public Health England (PHE) guide for parents and caregivers on how to support the mental health and well-being of children and young people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and beyond.
What’s on the page: Public Health England Child Welfare and Mental Health Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The guide is to help adults with caregiving responsibilities take care of the mental health and well-being of children and youth, including those with additional learning needs (ALN) during the coronavirus pandemic and beyond.
This is a difficult time for everyone, some people may react to this immediately, while for others it may affect them later. How children and young people react to this news can vary depending on their age, previous experiences, how they process and understand information, and how they cope with stress.
Therefore, during this time it is important to take care of the mental health of your family; there is a lot of support and resources available to you.
Public Health England cautions about the importance of taking care of your own mental health and well-being if you have children and young people in your care. This is because they can react to what they see of the adults around them, so if you are stressed, they are more likely to be, too.
You can see tips on How to take care of your mental health and well-beingduring the COVID-19 outbreak or visit Every mind matters for further support.
Public Health England stated that the following key points can help you support your child:
- Listen and acknowledge
- Provide clear information about the situation.
- Be aware of your own reactions.
- Connect regularly
- Create a new routine
- Limit exposure to the media and talk about what they have seen and heard.
All children and young people are different, and their reactions will be different, however, there are some common ways that different ages can react to a situation like the current one we face:
- Babies to 2 year olds. – You can become easily distressed and cry more than usual.
- 3-6 year olds – They may revert to behaviors they have already overcome, such as bedwetting, tantrums, trouble sleeping, or being afraid of being separated from parents or caregivers
- Children 7-10 years old – You may feel sad, angry, scared, or have trouble concentrating. They are more likely to share fake news and may want to focus on the details of the situation and want to talk about it all the time.
- Preteens and teens – may react by “acting” – this could be from alcohol or drug use. They may feel overwhelmed and have intense emotions that will keep to themselves and won’t talk about it.
Children and youth with additional learning disabilities (ALNs) may need additional words of reassurance and further explanations of the situation.
They would need more comfort and positive physical contact from loved ones, such as hugs.
For helpful tips on talking about feelings, see Tips on Caring Skills. For more guidance on COVID-19 for people with learning disabilities, see the Mencapwebsite (includes easy-to-read materials).
Autistic children may have a difficult time identifying the physical symptoms of the coronavirus. And he may have a hard time speaking and expressing his emotions, so it’s best to keep an eye out for changes in his behavior, as well as any physical symptoms.
Where to get more help
- If you or someone in your family has symptoms, call or visit the NHS 111 site orNHS website
- In case of medical emergency, call 999
- For more advice and support for a mental health crisis, visit this NHS Page
- If you are a parent or caregiver, Young Minds has a helpline. 0808 802 5544
- Places for your child to receive support: He shouted, ChildLine, Y Mix
For a full version of this article, visit .gov.uk.
