The preliminary results show that, compared with 2018, the children and young people feel less healthy and have less contact with peers. 5 percent more children have sleep problems and 7 percent more children experience anger. In addition, 10 percent more children suffer from depression and as many as 15 percent more children have anxiety symptoms. The number of children and young people with anxiety symptoms so severe that at least support should be offered doubled from 8 to 16 percent.
Family composition influences the consequences
When asked, 'What are all the COVID-19 rules like for you?' 90 percent of the children and young people say that they negatively affect their wellbeing. A COVID-19 infection within their own family or among friends appears to be an important predictor of the increase in anxiety and depression in particular. Children are also more afraid that one or both parents will become unemployed. Family composition is decisive: the more children there are in a family, the more anger and frustration they experience. Children from single-parent families have more sleep problems and anxiety symptoms.
Mental health a shared priority
Arne Popma, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at Amsterdam UMC, called in response to the research, on the television programme Buitenhof, for the mental health of children and young people to become a shared social priority. 'At home, at school, at the sports club, and together with all youth professionals. We can strengthen the resilience of children and families and thus prevent symptoms from becoming more severe or more numerous.'
The Netherlands Youth Institute, together with Youth Care, has drawn up recommendations for professionals, parents and policymakers. These recommendations are aimed at enabling young people to continue developing as resiliently as possible. To achieve this, it is necessary to work together with children and young people to find practical solutions that meet social needs while also preventing infection.