A psychiatrist has warned parents that any children or teenagers who had existing mental health conditions before lockdown was imposed in the UK in response to the Covid-19 outbreak will likely struggle more than others during this period.
Speaking to the Independent, Dr Elaine Lockhart, of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, explained that this could include young people with anxiety disorders, eating disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder or psychosis, adding that they’ll need additional support both now and when they have to return to school.
Dr Lockhart noted that, while this will be a difficult period for children, it’s likely to be harder for teenagers with mental health conditions.
“Generally young people have more severe mental health disorders than children and often their coping strategies involve seeing friends and activities which are curtailed at the moment,” she asserted.
She also pointed out that how a young person’s parents or carers are coping with the lockdown will also have an effect on how they deal with the current situation. It’s therefore important for families to get into good routines around exercise and getting involved in useful activities at home.
The Mirror recently offered parents some advice on how to help their children and teenagers cope with lockdown. Daniela Buzducea, from World Vision, told the newspaper that it’s important that parents talk about the global pandemic and what it means.
She said that it’s important to use language that they will understand and to talk calmly about what’s happening.
If you and your family are finding lockdown difficult, then you can find parent support online to provide you with assistance in navigating family conflicts during this challenging time.