The research, which draws on more than 60 existing, peer-reviewed studies into isolation, loneliness and mental health for young people aged from four- to -21-years-old, finds that that the impact of loneliness on mental health could last for at least nine years.
There is also evidence that duration of loneliness may be more important than the intensity of loneliness in increasing the risk of future depression among children and young people.
Authors of the report - led by the University of Bath in partnership with researchers at Bristol University, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, Reading University and Edinburgh University – warned policymakers to expect a rise in demand for mental health services from young people and young adults in years to come.
Dr Maria Loades, clinical psychologist from the Department of Psychology at the University of Bath who led the study, said that the research could have important implications for how the phased restart of schools is managed.
‘There is little research on the mental health impacts of loneliness in pre-schoolers, but we know that playing with friends is really important for wellbeing, including for managing anxiety and processing emotion,’ she told Nursery World. ‘For our youngest and their return to school from this week, we need to prioritise the importance of play in helping them to reconnect with friends and adjust following this intense period of isolation.’
She added, ‘Having time to play, and particularly, time for free play, which the child leads and chooses, is critical, whether this is with siblings or other family members. As soon as possible, it’s important to have time to reconnect with friends too, even if this is physically distanced.’
Members of the review team were among a group of academics and experts who recently wrote an open letter to education secretary, Gavin Williamson, focusing on support for children’s social and emotional well-being during and after lockdown. In the letter they suggested that schools should be ‘appropriately resourced ‘and given ‘clear guidance’ on how to support children’s emotional well-being during the transition period.
The report mentions unpublished data emerging from China during the Covid-19 pandemic, which shows that children aged three to 18 are commonly displaying behavioural manifestations of anxiety, including clinginess, distraction, fear of asking questions about the pandemic, and irritability.
Dr Loades said, ‘Parents and teachers should be looking out for these can be signs of stress in children, especially if they are out of character compared to how the child usually is.’
- The study ‘Rapid Systematic Review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19’ is published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry today (2 June).
