https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/blog/the-legacy-of-covid-on-children-and-the-task-ahead/

The legacy of Covid on children and the task ahead

Interesting and concerning article from the Children's commissioner about the lasting effect of Covid and the disruption that lockdown delivered to young people. The commissioner observes that 1.28 million children are still missing from school.

Psychotherapy treatment of young people since Covid has shown me the effect that the disruption had on the normative emotional development of some young people. Many articles on the effect of Covid and lockdown, although mentioning mental health in broad terms, miss one key ingredient: that the normal journey of growing up and becoming independent has for some been so intruded upon as to cause them to freeze and become greatly anxious about taking the next steps out into the world. For some young people this normal journey is exciting, but for others it is highly anxiety provoking - and missing one part or chunk of the experiences that gradually support it (such as going to school, seeing friends, play dates, sleepovers, doing activities out of the home) can be enough to cause a form of emotional shutdown that leads them to refuse school, stay at home, even stay in their bedrooms.

My psychotherapy with young people like this (sometimes done online) can help them to regain their confidence and bring them back to what we often term the developmental tracks. It is lovely to see them regain their interest in the normal themes of childhood and adolescence and begin again to flourish.