Depression in Children and Teens During COVID-19
Children are struggling through the pandemic. Here are strategies to spot symptoms before things get out of hand.
Abhijit Ramanujam, MD
Children are struggling through the COVID-19. In children aged 4 to 7 years, children tend to express stress through regression and separation anxiety. This is where routine comes in. Children may struggle with social distancing. In the 7 through 10 age group, children can pick up on stress and may become fearful for their own health. At this age, young people are not capable of expressing their own emotions.
In ages 10 to 13 years, children tend to struggle with academics. At this age, they work well with structure, which is why they need routine. At ages 14 to 17, social distancing can have a devastating effect on them, resulting in an increase in depressive symptoms such as listlessness and lack of motivation.
Abhijit Ramanujam, MD, discusses age-appropriate tools to help children of all ages cope with COVID-19. Dr Ramanujam is Regional Director of Community Psychiatry, Sacramento, CA.
