Nearly half of parents have reported increased “socio-emotional difficulties” in their children after lockdown, according to a new study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
By February 2021, 47 percent of parents reported that their child’s social and emotional skills had worsened, while just one in six reported any noticeable improvement. An original survey, run by the IFS in conjunction with UCL Institute of Education, also found that parents of girls and younger children, alongside those who were furloughed, were more likely to report worsening difficulties in their children.
Examining the breakdown of age groups, 52 percent of children in the four to seven-year-old bracket were reported to have deteriorated in their socio-emotional skills. In the 12 to 15 years bracket the number was 42 percent.
Fundamentally the report highlighted better outcomes in the socio-emotional skills of, “children whose parents had stable labour market experiences throughout the pandemic,” when compared with, “the skills of children whose families faced more economic instability.”
Separately, a statement on Tuesday by the children’s commissioner, Dame Rachel de Souza, shows that there has been a “large and recent increase” in the number of children and young people admitted to hospital for eating disorders, according to the latest NHS figures.
Disruption of the Pandemic
Furthermore, the same NHS figures show that just 78 percent of urgent cases and 81 percent of non-urgent cases were seen within target time frames of one week and four weeks respectively. This is significantly lower than the 95 percent target set over the past couple of years.Speaking to the Telegraph regarding the IFS study, Mrs. de Souza commented: “This study shows that the disruption the pandemic caused to children’s development has been long-lasting. It is vital that the right social and emotional support is made available to allow children the chance to recover and go on to achieve all that they want to.”
Responding to these latest findings, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said via an email to The Epoch Times: “We’re boosting capacity at children and young people’s community eating disorder services across the country–allowing them to treat nearly 50 percent more young people in 2022/2023 than 2019/2020. We’re also investing an additional £2.3 billion a year in NHS mental health services by March 2024, so more adults, children and young people in England get vital support quicker.”
Meanwhile, a recent study published on July 27, by the BMC Public Health journal, has shown a correlation between the impact of lockdowns and children’s play habits turning towards, “increased dependence on structured and organised physical activities, such as active clubs, and less on unstructured and spontaneous physical activities, such as physical play.”
The study suggests that children from “lower socio-economic households” and girls may face challenges in participating in this “new normal.”
Bolster Longer-Term Outcomes
Josh Hillman, director of education at the Nuffield Foundation, stated: “This important research highlights yet another adverse and compounding effect the pandemic had on children and young people, particularly those whose parents stopped working or were furloughed. Children’s social and emotional development is important, not only in its own right but also in supporting their capacity to learn and achieve in school, which in turn can bolster their longer-term outcomes.”This socio-economic pitfall is a repeated theme across reviews of the impact of lockdowns on children’s mental health, with the original study from the IFS going on to caution against underestimating, “the importance of protecting families during periods of significant economic uncertainty.”
Speaking to the Telegraph, former children’s commissioner Anne Longfield, who served during the lockdowns, said: “The impact of the pandemic on the well-being and development of many of our children is extremely alarming. I am not convinced though that the Government fully grasps the scale of the problem or the long-term consequences for our society and economy.”
