REVIEW   Free access

Minerva Pediatrica 2020 June;72(3):226-35

DOI: 10.23736/S0026-4946.20.05887-9

Copyright © 2020 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Impact of COVID -19 on children: special focus on the psychosocial aspect

Ritwik GHOSH ¹, Mahua J. DUBEY ², Subhankar CHATTERJEE ³ ✉, Souvik DUBEY ⁴

¹ Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, India; ² Department of Psychiatry, Behrampore Mental Hospital, Berhampore, India; ³ Department of General Medicine, Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences, Ranchi, India; ⁴ Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences, SSKM Hospital, Kolkata, India

Although medical literature shows that children are minimally susceptible to 2019-Corona virus disease (COVID-19), they are hit the hardest by psychosocial impact of this pandemic. Being quarantined in homes and institutions may impose greater psychological burden than the physical sufferings caused by the virus. School closure, lack of outdoor activity, aberrant dietary and sleeping habits are likely to disrupt children’s usual lifestyle and can potentially promote monotony, distress, impatience, annoyance and varied neuropsychiatric manifestations. Incidences of domestic violence, child abuse, adulterated online contents are on the rise. Children of single parent and frontline workers suffer unique problems. The children from marginalized communities are particularly susceptible to the infection and may suffer from extended ill-consequences of this pandemic, such as child labor, child trafficking, child marriage, sexual exploitation and death etc. Parents, pediatricians, psychologists, social workers, hospital authorities, government and non-governmental organizations have important roles to play to mitigate the psychosocial ill-effects of COVID-19 on children and adolescents. To provide the basic amenities, social security, medical care, and to minimize the educational inequities among the children of the different strata of the society are foremost priorities.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Pandemics; Parenting; Child abuse; Mental health