We have been experiencing the consequences of the COVID-19 for over a year now. It is rather amazing that a whole year has gone by. Consequently, we have witnessed a significant mental health crisis in so many of our children, teenagers and families.
PACES Connection is sponsoring an article on this topic and announcing a live discussion featuring Dr. Monique Collier Nickles on April 13, 2021. Here are some portions of this article.
The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been stressful and traumatic for many people, particularly our children and adolescents. As we approach the pandemic’s one-year anniversary, unfortunately, many of us are continuing to grapple with its distressing effects both physically and emotionally.
Stress during this pandemic has been characterized by a number of issues including:
- Fear and anxiety about the disease, one’s own health, and the health of one’s loved ones
- Changes in sleep or eating patterns
- Difficulty sleeping and concentrating
- Worsening of chronic health problems
- Increased use of alcohol, tobacco, or other drugs
- Social disruption, disconnection and disappointment
- Cognitive overload
- Zoom fatigue
- Pandemic burnout
Everyone reacts differently to stressful situations. How one responds to the pandemic could depend on your background, age, occupation, medical history, as well as the community you live in. Nevertheless, stress can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions and reactions in both adults and children.
The article lists some strategies and activities to help cope with some of the issues that are typical of the responses to the pandemic. It will be helpful for all of us to practice these interventions to help us recover from some of the effects of COVID-19 in this past year.
Here is the Zoom announcement for next week’s scheduled discussion:
Join Dr. Monique Collier Nickles on 4/13/21 for a live discussion related to this post by registering for ChildWIN’s free Zoom event at https://us02web.zoom.us/meetin…FcfKOVI9rg9X5Xh8EHBY
Gerry Vassar
President/CEO
