Editorial Perspective: The mental health impact of school closures during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

School closures were one of the earlier actions taken as the world tried to contain the COVID-19 outbreak, a decision impacting nearly three-fourths of the learners worldwide. One year into the pandemic, over 200 million students still faced disruptions to their education. Nearing the end of another academic year that has occurred entirely during the pandemic, many schools remained fully or partially closed for in-person education, altering routines and representing potential hardships to the next generation and their families. This article will explore the potential impacts of school closures on children and adolescents related to increased screen time, irregular sleep patterns, less balanced diets, learning difficulties, and changes in social interaction. In addition, we note broader familial difficulties likely accompanying the loss of the mitigating effects of schools and their associated support systems, such as parental stress and work responsibilities, loss of employment, intimate partner violence, child abuse and neglect, and parental substance abuse, which appear to have increased during the pandemic. Considering what is known about the impact from previous natural catastrophes, the populations at risk, and the early but not yet definitive data from the current pandemic, we stress the urgent need for robust data as we prepare for a new academic year in the Northern Hemisphere. Although we currently lack consistent and complete data, signs for concern include a rise in pediatric emergency room visits for mental health and substance use issues in many parts of the world. This paper aims to stimulate a discussion about the potential mental health effects of school closures for children and adolescents in the context of a pandemic.