Ravinderpal Singh, MD is a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Inova Kellar Center.
Kyle C. Averill, M.Ed. is the Director of the Inova Kellar School, a therapeutic education program serving students grades 3 through 12.
The fallout of COVID-19 is real — and for school-aged children in particular, the pandemic has taken a huge toll on learning, as well as their social and emotional well-being.
“There has been a tremendous loss of community and connection for children since the pandemic began,” says Ravinderpal Singh, MD, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Inova Kellar Center. “Unfortunately, we won’t understand the full impact of COVID-19 on children and families for a decade or longer.”
COVID-19 posed unprecedented challenges for parents, teachers and children alike. Over the past 14 months, children have been forced into lockdown, returned to in-person school part time and now they’re facing a return to full-time, in-person school in the fall.
While many adults believe kids are resilient, that’s a dangerous position to maintain when resilience reserves are waning. In fact, according to Kellar School Director Kyle Averill, M.Ed., children are absorbing some of the same stresses as their parents. At the same time, the channels kids use to diffuse their stresses and frustrations — sports, friends, time away from their parents — have evaporated.
“We frequently hear the term ‘unprecedented challenges’ as it relates to the pandemic and heading back to the classroom is yet another unprecedented challenge for school-aged children and their parents,” Averill says. “Returning to a large building with 3,100 students is going to be a challenge; and at this juncture, we really don’t know what that’s going to look like.”
Toxic stress happens when the body’s “fight, flight or freeze” hormones stay on high alert for days, weeks, months or even years without relief. “This chronic exposure to stress hormones can rewire a developing brain in ways that are difficult to change,” Singh says. Children may lash out unprovoked or withdraw from friends and loved ones. Left unchecked, chronic stress can also increase kids’ risk of developing future health problems.
When we overcome tremendous challenges, it’s called resilience. Some people seem to easily push past trauma while others may suffer for years or even decades after the threat is over. Whether your child bounces back after COVID-19 or crumbles under the pressure of so much disruption and change depends in large part on what protections are in place.
“Fortunately, there’s a lot we can do to buffer children from harm and help them succeed, not only academically, but also socially and emotionally,” Singh says. Here’s how:
Even before the pandemic, researchers noted a spike in mental health issues among children and teenagers. With the stress and unpredictability of 2020 and 2021, experts expect those numbers to continue to climb.
“For every kid who is managing okay, there are a bunch of kids who are not — and those kids are in the shadows,” Singh says. “As children begin to get back into buildings, we’re expecting a voluminous increase in referrals for mental health services.”
Part of what makes this pandemic so challenging is that there is no clear end point. As such, it’s important for parents and educators alike not to expect kids to perform at their pre-pandemic levels in school or at home.
“There has been so much attention and effort to normalize what we’re going through and plow through chemistry or AP algebra, when what we should be doing instead is allowing kids to reset and just be together again,” Averill says.
Watch for these warning signs that your child may be struggling:
Keep in mind that every child is unique, and some may need more time and space to process their feelings. Teens and young adults may try to hide their struggles, while younger children may not know how to communicate feelings of stress, overwhelm and sadness. “In every case, it’s important to talk to your child’s teacher and pediatrician so you can access the right supports,” Singh says.
For child and adolescent behavioral health outpatient services, call 703-218-8500. For inpatient adolescent behavioral health inpatient services, or adult mental health and substance use services (both inpatient and outpatient), call 703-289-7560.
Inova Kellar Center provides a full continuum of outpatient services and programs, including individual, family and group therapy, medication management, psychiatric evaluations, psychological testing, intensive outpatient programs, and partial hospitalization programs.
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