A new study, published yesterday (8th December), found reopening schools during the pandemic reduced mental health diagnoses among children.
Led by experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, the research offers some of the strongest evidence to dat that extended classroom closures had a significant impact on young people’s wellbeing.
‘Our results provide solid evidence to parents, educators and policymakers that in-person schools plays a crucial role in kinds’ wellbeing,’ Rita Hamad, senior author of the study, said. ‘The findings offer lessons for future public health emergencies and provide insight into why mental health worsened for children during the pandemic.’
The team analysed health diagnoses and spending records for 185,735 children aged five to 18 across 24 countries and 224 school districts in California. Prolonged closures and staggering reopenings created what researchers called a ‘natural experiment’, allowing comparisons between pupils who returned to classrooms and those who remained remote.
While overall mental health diagnoses rose from 2.8% to 3.5% between March 2020 and June 2021, children in districts that reopened experienced far fewer diagnoses.
Nine months after returning to in-person teaching, the likelihood of receiving a mental health diagnosis had dropped by 43%, covering conditions such as anxiety, depression and ADHD.
Meanwhile, healthcare spending followed a similar pattern. Non-drug medical spending linked to mental health fell by 11% in reopened districts, with an 8% drop in psychiatric drug spending and a 5% decline in ADHD medication costs.
‘As we consider future public health emergencies, this study suggests we need to prioritise safe school reopenings and ensure children have access to the social and emotional resources that schools provide,’ Hamad said.
‘Policies should focus not only on infection control, but also on the mental wellbeing of children, recognising that schools are a critical part of their support system.’
The authors noted the study focused on children in relatively higher-income areas with commercial insurance and said further research is needed to understand the impact on marginalised groups.
This research, published in full here, follows a recent study linking covid restrictions to a rise in developmental concerns among toddlers.
Image: SIMRAN SRIVASTAVA/UnSplash
In related news:
Leave a Reply