STUDENT CORNER

SARS-CoV-2 & Children's Mental Health-Assessing Psychiatric Concerns and Potential Solutions: A Narrative Review

Mir Ibrahim Sajid
Medical College Aga Khan University Karachi
Javeria Tariq
Medical College Aga Khan University Karachi
Ayesha Akbar Waheed
Medical College Aga Khan University Karachi
Dur-e-Najaf Dur-e-Najaf
Medical College Aga Khan University Karachi

✉ Correspondence: Mir Ibrahim Sajid Email: ibisajid@gmail.com

DOI https://doi.org/10.70302/jpsim.v1i1.2017
Volume: 1, Issue 1 Pages: 74–77 Published: 16 Dec 2020
Received: 17 Sep 2020 Accepted: 07 Oct 2020 Published Online: 16 Dec 2020

Abstract

Objective

This review aims to critically evaluate the currently available literature concerning the impact SARS-CoV-2 has had on pediatric mental health.

Methods

An extensive literature review was conducted on four major databases, PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct and Wiley Online Library; and a pre-print server, medRxiv using keywords of COVID-19 and derivatives, Children and Mental Health,

Results

We highlighted that stress, anxiety, depression, boredom and the fear of getting infected were the main psychiatric disorders found during the SARS-CoV-2 period. These may have resulted from the lack of socialization and isolation from friends, with institutional closure causing more than 890 million students in 114 countries to stay home. Children who are separated from their parents are more likely to experience acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder, either because they have the infection themselves or because their caregiver has contracted the virus. In order to ensure quality family time, possible ways to overcome these issues include: physical activity, virtual communication, and fostering a safe home atmosphere.

Conclusion

It is suggested that mental health problems have a well-correlated connection to suicide, which is the third largest cause of death among children aged 15-19 years worldwide. Clinicians and child support agencies must step up to ensure the optimal health of children, both physically and psychologically, with certain psychological issues looming, as the pandemic lasts.

Keywords
SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 Pediatrics Mental Health Affective Disorders

How to Cite This Article

Sajid MI, Tariq J, Waheed AA, Dur-e-Najaf D. SARS-CoV-2 & Children's Mental Health-Assessing Psychiatric Concerns and Potential Solutions: A Narrative Review. J Pak Soc Intern Med. 2020;1(1):74–77. doi:10.70302/jpsim.v1i1.2017

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Conflict of Interest

All authors declare no competing interests.

Disclosed in accordance with ICMJE and COPE guidelines.

Funding

No specific funding was received for this research.

Funder information follows the Crossref Funder Registry standard.

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Reference list indexed for Google Scholar and ResearchGate. DOI links resolve via doi.org.

CC BY CC BY 4.0 This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. May be shared and adapted with attribution. © 2020 Journal of Pakistan Society of Internal Medicine.
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