Transcription:
The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children’s Mental Health

Joey Wahler (Host): This is Children's Health Checkup, where we answer parents' most common questions about raising healthy and happy kids. Thanks for listening. I'm Joey Wahler. As adults, the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly taken a psychological toll onus, therefore imagine its mental impact on kids. So we're discussing the pandemic's effect on children's mental health and ways families can cope and adjust. Our guests, Dr. Jasmine Ghannadpour and Dr. Stevie Puckett-Perez, both are Pediatric Psychologists at Children's Health and Assistant Professors at UT Southwestern. Doctors, thanks to both of you for joining us.

Stevie Puckett-Perez, PhD, ABPP (Guest): Thanks for having me.

Host: You got it. Well, first for you, Dr. Ghannadpour, in a nutshell to get us going here, what's been the pandemics biggest effect on children's and family's mental health would you say?

Jasmine Ghannadpour, PhD, ABPP (Guest): From a mental health perspective, We're seeing more depression, more anxiety, trauma and eating disorders symptoms. that's my area. That's where I work. the children have had to deal with this really scary ordeal of the pandemic and they weren't able to feel the safety and comfort of their regular schedules and routines.

They were limited in their activities that previously could have been healthy coping skills, like seeing friends, playing sports and going out. And so that's really increased a lot of mental health symptoms. then also we're seeing adults have also lost access to their healthy coping activities because of the pandemic. So we're also seeing a lot more parents dealing with alcoholism and how that's impacting family stress.

Stevie Puckett-Perez, PhD, ABPP (Guest): I would add to that, you know that in my practice, I'm also seeing an increase in the anxiety, depression, and general mood and behavioral dysregulation for kids and in their families. But I would also throw in there that perhaps surprisingly, there are some youth that I see who have had positive mental health impacts from some of the changes that have been brought about by the pandemic. As a pediatric psychologist, I see a fair amount of kids and teens with complex medical conditions for whom school and social activities can pose a big challenge. And so for some of those kids, having increased flexibility and more time at home and just having more flexibility than they've been granted before has given them some, increased ability to navigate their health issues and chronic conditions. So some of them have been relieved by that added flexibility.

Host: Interesting. So a little different take there that it's actually had a positive impact on some. That's good to hear. So continuing with you, Dr. Puckett-Perez to backtrack for a brief moment, what are some of the factors that can contribute to things like anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders in children?

Dr. Puckett-Perez: Yeah. So I would say touching on what Dr. Ghannadpour mentioned, a big factor is lack of certainty and insecurity. And so with this massive shift in just daily life and what kids do in their daily life, not knowing what's happening next, that is a big factor, that kind of unpredictable nature of life and not knowing about their own safety and what's coming next.

And specifically that lack of routine, lack of predictable daily schedule, lack of coping outlets is a big one. Isolation is often a big one for kids, feeling unsuccessful at some of the things that are expected of them. Like the shift to virtual schooling, for example, too much or too little stimulation.

And, we also have to think of for some of these kids, for many of these kids being impacted by loss, loss of a loved one, loss of friends, that weighs in as well, how much or how little anxiety and depression we're going to see in kiddos.

Dr. Ghannadpour: Yeah. And would add that we talk about where mental health disorders come from, with our patients and families, we talk about both genetic factors and environmental factors that play a role. In eating disorders, we call it the perfect storm of biological, psychological and social factors.

So Dr. Puckett-Perez was just identifying some of those factors. you have a genetic predisposition and then some sort of stressor or combination of stressors then causes the mental health symptoms. we remind parents that genetics are no one's fault. It's what you're born with and you can't control it. the pandemic has just been so full of so many kinds of stressors, from going from in-person school to virtual school, worries about getting sick or family members getting sick, job loss, food insecurity, increases in incidence of domestic violence and child abuse. So all of these factors have really played a role in the increase in mental illness.

Host: And Dr. Ghannadpour, it seems COVID-19 may never completely go away. So what advice do you have for families that may have difficulty adjusting to resuming those old familiar activities and what we know as quote unquote, normal life?

Dr. Ghannadpour: Yeah, I think first we need to let go of the expectation that we're somehow going to go back to what life was like before the pandemic. Now we are living through a pandemic. We have changed because of it and change after a stressful event, doesn't always have to be bad though. Sometimes we grow from trauma and stress. We realize our own strength in a way that we may not have if we hadn't gone through the really difficult stuff. So I'd say to make sure you notice what you're grateful for. What changes did families make that were positive? For example, some families noticed feeling more connected when everyone slowed down and wasn't over-scheduled with activities and were forced to spend more time with one another. Some parents were grateful to have so much time with their kids when they usually wouldn't get to see each other as much because of school and work. And remember that kids pick up on their parents' anxiety. So if you're worried, your children will also feel worried and what they really need right now is validation that yes, this is a difficult time and reassurance that they have done difficult things before, and they will get through this really difficult time as well.

And you're here to support them. Parents need their own support too. So make sure that you're seeking your own therapy, talking to your support system and taking care of yourself so that you can then also have the capacity to take care of your loved ones.

Dr. Puckett-Perez: And I'm going to give the very psychologist answer, talk, talk, and more talk, you know? So I think that learning what kids know, what questions they're having about this, what they think they might know about it. What are their friends talking about? What are they thinking? What are they feeling? And just having these frequent check-ins.

And instead of assuming, we kind of know what kids are thinking, really seek that out and answer the questions they have, honestly, and correct any misperceptions that they might have. We usually start with, getting that information and then providing realistic reassurance about that ease back into whatever new normal is going to look like.

Talk about active things that they and your family are doing to stay safe or addressing whatever fears that they have. And as Dr. Ghannadpour said, really model talking through those things and model talking through your own thoughts and feelings and problem-solving, and including the kids in the conversation of finding solutions and what does this new normal look like for us?

What things do we want to add back into our life and in what ways? What things might we not want to change about this kind of new system we have and just easing back into it and navigating any worries and nervousness as it comes and really validating that when it does arise, rather than minimizing or ignoring it.

Host: So we've talked about some things that people can do on their own basically, but Dr. Ghannadpour, what are other ways parents can support their children's mental health if they find that professional help, may be needed?

Dr. Ghannadpour: We all get sad or anxious sometimes. When those emotions start to happen more days than not, and interfere with our daily functioning with school, hanging out with friends, doing activities we enjoy, then it may be time to seek professional help, least getting an assessment to decide whether the therapy could be appropriate and beneficial.

Dr. Puckett-Perez: Yeah, absolutely. I encourage families to do a bit of a family needs assessment. every family is going to be at a different place with this, depending on what their experience of pandemic has been like. And, there are times when we just have to take stock of how things are going and we know our kids best.

And, just as parents paying attention to those behavioral or emotional changes or habit changes that you're seeing in your child. And if there are things that you feel you need help with, or your child needs help with to find a new normal and manage those big emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. Then that's exactly what child psychologists and other type of mental health professionals are for.

And you don't have to, I often feel like I have to remind families. You don't have to be incredibly sick or dysfunctional to seek therapy and get support from a psychologists lots and lots of therapists and psychologists can use a strengths based approach with kids and families that can help them to maximize their functioning. Even if they feel like, oh, I'm doing okay. I'm not sick enough to see a psychologist. I don't have big problems even with small problems and just getting support therapy can be incredibly beneficial.

Host: So in closing here for you, Dr. Ghannadpour, considering what we've discussed already, what's the main message you would have for parents in trying to, at this point of the pandemic, kind of figure out where to go from here.

Dr. Ghannadpour: If your child is dealing with, stress or mental health problems, just remember it's not your fault. Sometimes the idea, that it's a parent's fault is the biggest barrier to them seeking treatment. You're an incredibly important part of the solution and social support, especially from parents is one of the most important parts of mental health treatment for children.

So keep an open mind and a willingness to try things differently for the potential of seeing a happier child again.

Dr. Puckett-Perez: For sure. And back to, you know, my standard psychologist answer, just frequent check-ins, family check-ins to figure out how things are going, lots of talking and figuring out what needs are, what wants are getting back to basics, you know, let's just figure out what does a new normal, a new routine, new consistency and predictability look like. Basic things like getting enough sleep and eating well and hydrating and having daily activities and finding fun on purpose opportunities to connect and just building good routines back into family life. And then seeing where are the areas where we need more support and making sure you're seeking that out, if you need to.

Host: Well, just listening to the two of you for the last few minutes, I could tell you, I feel better already. Dr. Ghannadpour and Dr. Puckett-Perez, thanks again so much.

Dr. Puckett-Perez: Thank you for having us.

Host: So folks we hope you're now better equipped to address the pandemic's impact on children's mental health. For more information, please visit children's.com/COVID-19. Again, children's.com/COVID-19. And thanks for listening to Children's Health Checkup. If you found this podcast helpful, please rate and review or share this episode and please follow Children's Health on your social channels.