The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, entailing widespread school closures as well as acute disruptions to household livelihoods, has presumably had substantial consequences for adolescent well-being in developing country contexts that remain largely unexplored. We present novel evidence about the prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescent students as well as educators in rural Mozambique using data from an in-person survey conducted in 175 schools. In our sample, 31% of students report low levels of well-being (though only 10% suffer from high anxiety): students enrolled in schools that used a wider variety of distance learning measures report lower anxiety, while students reporting familial shocks linked to the pandemic report higher anxiety and lower well-being. Educators experience comparatively lower levels of anxiety and higher well-being, and household-level shocks are most predictive of variation in mental health. However, well-being is negatively affected by the range of hygiene-related measures implemented in schools upon reopening.

This book highlights the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health needs of children and adolescents in order to shed light on future practice and reform needed to better deal with the aftermath of such devastating events. The book identifies the conditions during any public health crisis that heighten the mental health needs of children and adolescents and suggests the reforms of mental health services needed to better meet the needs of children and youths during and following pandemics and other public health crises. Importance is placed not only on addressing the effects of COVID-19 but on anticipating and preparing for other public health disruptions to the lives of those who have not reached adulthood. Although mental health services in all settings are considered, special attention is given to the role of schools in providing for the mental health of children and adolescents and preparing for the mental health implications of future public health disruptions. The book will be of equal use to both students and researchers in the fields of mental health, well-being, and education as well as teachers, educational psychologists, social workers, and practitioners working in schools and communities to address students’ mental health needs. It will help readers better understand how and why COVID-19 was a negative influence on students’ mental health, and unpack how best to deal with the aftermath of the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges to the nation's K-12 education system. The rush to slow the spread of the virus led to closures of schools across the country, with little time to ensure continuity of instruction or to create a framework for deciding when and how to reopen schools. States, districts, and schools are now grappling with the complex and high-stakes questions of whether to reopen school buildings and how to operate them safely if they do reopen. These decisions need to be informed by the most up-to-date evidence about the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19; about the impacts of school closures on students and families; and about the complexities of operating school buildings as the pandemic persists. Reopening K-12 Schools During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Prioritizing Health, Equity, and Communities provides guidance on the reopening and operation of elementary and secondary schools for the 2020-2021 school year. The recommendations of this report are designed to help districts and schools successfully navigate the complex decisions around reopening school buildings, keeping them open, and operating them safely.

The unprecedented nature of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted individuals, families, communities, states, and countries in ways that were never expected. A closer study of how the pandemic affected different areas of individuals’ development and mental and physical health, while also offering best practices and therapies for contending with extreme changes in life, is necessary to successfully move forward. The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Child, Adolescent, and Adult Development delves into how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted schooling, relationships, and mental, physical, and developmental health as well as how it adversely impacted those with disabilities. This publication is beneficial to those in academic settings within a variety of disciplines including psychology, sociology, epidemiology, public health, among others, as well as for laypeople and educational institutions who are trying to work through the impact of the pandemic and to better comprehend the changes, aftermath, and best practices for progressing. Covering a range of topics such as creative art therapy and child abuse, this essential reference is ideal for researchers, academicians, practitioners, administrators, instructors, counselors, and students.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has dramatically spread throughout the world, which has also caused mental health problems among the public, especially vulnerable groups like children and adolescents. As a traumatic event, the outbreak of COVID-19 might increase the prevalence of a series of mental health problems in children and adolescents probably due to social distancing, school closures, as well as separation from parents, and home quarantine. The continuing spreading of COVID-19 infection, as well as vaccine uptake strategies, quarantine policies, and health services during post epidemic era may also have a long-lasting side effect on children and adolescents. Children and adolescents are in critical periods of neurodevelopment and once they develop mental health problems, the long-lasting negative influence might span across their lifetime. Moreover, long-term multisystem sequelae, including neurological and psychiatric systems, of COVID-19 infection in children also compromise the development of physical and mental wellbeing in adulthood. Though there have been several studies on mental health consequences and long-term impact on the mental health of children and adolescents caused by COVID-19, there is still limited data and more comprehensive studies are needed on this important topic.

This phenomenological study highlighted the perceived mental health effects on school-age children and adolescents because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The people directly impacted by this problem were the students, with parents and educators being indirectly impacted. The study examined the perceptions of teachers who witnessed perceived mental health issues in their students. The guiding theoretical framework used for this dissertation included the social psychological theories for loneliness and interdependence. The sample of participants included elementary, middle and high school teachers who met the requirements for the study. Each teacher selected participated in an interview, which the researcher transcribed and coded using the phenomenological approach. The shared experiences from the teachers were to assist parents, educators and mental health counselors to understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students. The results in relation to the research questions showed that there were perceived prevalent mental health issues associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and loss of in-person learning. Future practice should include schools and communities that develop school programs, family support programs and a system to identify students who are still suffering mental health issues from the pandemic.