Children VS COVID-19: Mcgill researchers launch youth-friendly website

Researchers at Mcgill University have launched a web platform to better understand how children and teens are experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and to better support their mental health.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented changes in our society. Trinity Mastine, an undergraduate student at Bishop’s University and Lauranne Gendron-cloutier, a doctoral student at l’universite de Montreal, are working hand in hand with Mcgill research teams.what they have noticed is that children and teens have been presented as resilient facing the virus itself, but the non-physical effects of the pandemic also need to be considered.

“While various sectors and families may be preoccupied with whatever COVID-19 has thrown at them, children’s feelings and mental health may be set aside,” the two students explained. “This project gives children and adolescents the opportunity to confidentially or anonymously share their own experiences, perspectives, and feelings during this time in an empowering way.”

While compiling previous literature on the subject, researchers found that the pandemic and the physical distancing practices in place can lead to psychological distress in children and adolescents, and the impact could be long-lasting. “In younger children, anxiety may be evidenced by regressive behaviours such as increased clinginess and separation anxiety,” said Mastine. “Children and adolescents may also develop greater irritability, frustration and oppositionality in this context. Depressive symptoms may also emerge, as well as sleep disturbances like insomnia and nightmares.”

“It is essential to remember that it is normal for children and adolescents to experience these difficulties to varying extents, as their routines are disrupted and they become isolated from loved ones,” added Gendron-cloutier.

The website, launched earlier this year, is open to anyone aged six to 17 who lives in Canada, preferably Quebec. “Anyone can create an account and share content on the website, but those who wish to share their content for the purpose of the research project are invited to complete a consent form,” said Mastine. “If they are under 14, their parents must also complete a consent form. Once the account is linked to the child or adolescent, we can then analyze that information as a part of the project.”

Creating a multi-media platform was the best way for the research team to reach the young population virtually, considering in-person interactions are restricted. “The goal was to give children and youth a space where they could share their experiences anonymously and exchange with their peers in a moderated and respectful environment, while also having access to youth-friendly resources,” said Gendron-cloutier.

According to Mastine, a number of discussion threads have already been created on the website. “For the forum part, various threads with different topics have been started that the participants can contribute to and can be guided by,” she said. “Participants can also create their own topic as well, if they wish to get a different conversation going.”

Researchers will be compiling the content from the website as well as conducting interviews with interested children and adolescents to get a full picture of the situation and how those groups are coping with the pandemic. “Those interested in participating in an interview should first visit the website,” said Mastine. “A specific information page for the interviews can be found, and the process is all online. We are especially looking to recruit teenagers for the interview portion, as, so far, we have mostly interviewed children.”

The research team’s goal is to develop a first-person perspective on the daily lives of these young people through their project. “We expect that children and adolescents will experience certain difficulties during this time, for instance, that they will struggle with being separated from their social circles and friends,” said Mastine. “Through this project, we hope to find new and creative ways for children and adolescents to feel better during the pandemic by learning about the things our participants have tried. In essence, we aim to gain ideas from children and adolescents with the hope of helping others.”

To access the website, go to https:// covid19enfants.com/en/