NSW’s chief psychiatrist has revealed the telltale signs children are struggling during Covid lockdowns – and how you can help.
The Covid pandemic and seemingly endless lockdowns have been a struggle for most of us – including kids.
With schools shut for months on end and home schooling becoming a regular feature, many children aren’t coping well with the drastic change to their routines.
But it can be tough to spot the signs things aren’t right.
NSW chief psychiatrist Murray Wright spoke with 2GB’s Ben Fordham today to urge parents to keep a close eye on their children as lockdowns drag on.
With a recent 31 per cent spike in kids presenting to hospital with self-harm and suicidal thoughts, Dr Wright said it was essential for parents to know the signs to watch out for, with changes in behaviour a major red flag.
Dr Wright said it was “distressing” to hear about the negative impact of Covid lockdowns on Aussie kids.
He said there was a number of “specific strategies” in place to help, but said parents should be on alert for “any kind of changes” in behaviour.
“We should assume every single person in the community is impacted by the pandemic and restrictions,” he said.
“Some kids will act out and get irritable, angry, defiant, some kids will withdraw, some kids, particularly younger kids, might become clingy and really insecure.
“I think the starting point should be, parents should assume kids are struggling with the pandemic because we all are, and make it a topic of conversation.”
He said rather than “judging our kids when they are behaving inappropriately or causing difficulties in the household”, parents should check in with how they are feeling and try and give them the opportunity to talk about it.
He also insisted it was important to balance the tendency to “despair” at the situation with a sense of hope that we will get through this.
Dr Wright’s warning comes after it was revealed that children as young as five have been calling youth counselling service Kids Helpline in record numbers during the pandemic.
Data from the organisation’s six-monthly report released earlier this month revealed a 200 per cent increase in counselling contacts made by five-year-olds over the first six months of 2021 compared to the same period last year.
In the first six months of 2020, Kids Helpline received 14 calls from five-year-olds, with that figure soaring to 42 in the first six months of 2021.
Statistics also reveal that weekly demand from young people for the counselling service increased by 68 per cent in NSW from June to July.
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