Lockdown taking a terrible toll on children’s mental wellbeing
Debs Davis, Childline service manager for NSPCC Cymru, describes how children from all backgrounds are facing unprecedented wellbeing challenges during the the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown measures
THE challenges facing children and families in Wales because of the coronavirus pandemic should not be underestimated.
There will be more tests to overcome in the months ahead and it is crucial that young people struggling to cope with the significant issues the lockdown is presenting continue to be able to voice their worries to a listening and non-judgmental ear.
At Childline, we’re hearing how children and young people are finding it hard to deal with emotions they may not have had before because of the fear, anxiety and distress that the pandemic, and measures to combat it, are causing.
This is exacerbating other day-today stresses and worries teenagers face over schoolwork, friendship groups and home life.
Sadly, for some children in our communities, there will be more profound issues already facing them – perhaps an unsafe home environment involving abuse, domestic violence or difficult family relationships – and this is an especially difficult time for them.
Overnight, the lockdown intensified countless situations, concealing abuse behind closed doors, and in many cases swept support networks from beneath young people who needed them.
At the NSPCC, we record the top concerns of young people in Childline sessions and in the period since the crisis began, three of the four top main concerns relate to mental and emotional health and wellbeing. We have heard from child after child who is finding it hard to cope.
More than half of all counselling sessions delivered by Childline volunteers to children in Wales in April related to mental health, suicidal thoughts and feelings, and selfharm.
While there is little change in the concerns before and during lockdown, what’s clear from our Childline counsellors is that for many young people, the trying circumstances they were already facing have been heightened during lockdown, leaving them feeling alone and trapped.
In the month following lockdown, 429 counselling sessions were delivered to children in Wales who were concerned about mental health and emotional wellbeing.
Without face-to-face contact with their friends and the security of school, which often helps improve mental wellbeing, it’s understandable how issues can quickly seem overwhelming.
Children and young people are feeling isolated and experiencing emotions such as helplessness, anger, or worry, and amid the uncertainty our Childline counsellors are providing a vital lifeline – helping them manage that wave of emotions and the issues they might be facing.
This includes direct concerns about the Covid-19 crisis and what it means for them. Since January Childline has heard from 169 children and young people from Wales voicing worries about the pandemic.
Our volunteers for Childline in Prestatyn and Cardiff have critical worker status – they are on the frontline and they astound me each and every day with their passion to help keep children safe and their resilience, continuously adapting to support children during this crisis.
Some of our Childline staff are working from home at the moment and changes have been made to the Childline website to provide additional support to children and young people.
Circumstances changed suddenly for everyone, but for children whose usual support networks are not in place and who have nowhere else to turn, it’s crucial they have Childline, which is why I urge people to support the NSPCC’s “Still here for children” appeal, which is raising vital funds to help children and families.
The public can donate via the NSPCC website to help fund vital services like Childline.
Peer support is important for children and young people, which is why Childline has built a huge online community where children can get support from their peers on message boards and use expert resources to help them through any issue they are concerned about.
Childline’s Calm Zone remains a popular tool, which provides children and young people with a range of activities and tools that they can use to help them feel better when they are anxious, scared or sad, including breathing exercises, yoga and games.
With levels in early March at around 2,400 pageviews, the tool has seen continued growth since pandemic restrictions were imposed, reaching 10,000 pageviews per week in April.
■ If adults are worried about children, they can get advice from NSPCC practitioners on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk
■ Young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat on www.childline.org.uk