Top Ten Most Overlooked Psychological Impacts of Quarantine on Children and Adolescents

A majority of social development occurs in both young children and again in adolescence. This lack of social development in these essential times can be extremely detrimental. Emotional issues and a general disconnect from society may be a result of this.

Going to school vs taking online courses just isn't the same. For students in College, I feel that it's easier, but for kids who are just starting school, this definitely isn't good for their development.

Ooh boo hoo, I had social anxiety so I've stayed home with no friends my entire school years, deal with it, suckers.

Preexisting family tensions may be exasperated due to such a large increase in time together. In many cases, this has lead to cases of domestic violence. Children and teens will have no escape from the home, and may not have access to resources that a school or activity may normally provide. Hotlines and police reports have increased quite a lot after man dory quarantines started to take effect.

I feel sorry for the people with abusive parents.

This goes along with depression, but they are not necessarily tied together. Without friends to see or anywhere to go, it may seem as though there is not much to look forward to. In regards to exercise, 50% of teens reported reduced amounts of physical activity in quarantine. You can definitely count me into that number.

Of course this was common beforehand, but the stress, anxiety, and isolation caused by quarantining has seen a significant increase in reported cases of depression and suicide rates. Some sources report that depression rates are nearly tripling. It's a sad reality, which I'm sure that many of those reading this have some experience with.

Something that nobody ever talks about is the increased suicide rates since lockdowns/quarantines have been imposed. This is a prime reason why I don't support lockdowns.

Whether it is due to the uncertainty of the future, internal family issues, or other factors, stress is also being found to be significantly higher. Stress can lead to cardiovascular issues, reduce the functionality of the immune system (immunosuppression), and increase vulnerability to other mental and physical ailments.

Yeah I'm going through a lot of stress as a senior.

While it sounds far fetched at first, there have been increasing reports of ptsd, especially in young teens, from quarantine. Whether it is from violence, isolation, panic attacks, or deaths within the family, the number of cases of ptsd directly stemming from quarantine is rising.

In order to cope with a growing list of mental health conditions, many teens may turn to alcohol or drugs. Alcohol consumption in adolescents is up 20% in quarantine compared to pre pandemic numbers. This is a very alarming spike, as it shows that many do not have healthy ways to cope with their symptoms

This may be caused by a lack of routine, stress, or preexisting symptoms. Many had a much stricter schedule prior to the pandemic. I'm writing this at 3 am, for example. Increased screen time is another factor that may be at play here. Sleep is necessary for many functions, but more and more people are struggling to get the proper amount of sleep.

Some people now go to sleep later than they use to.

I am pretty sure I have insomnia.

Again, much like with stress, many factors may be playing into increased anxiety rates. There are many uncertainties at the moment, causing general anxiety already. In adolescents, this and uncertain futures after graduating or even during high school and college can increase this. They may be seeing the same expectations despite lacking social/emotional support.

Imagine suddenly developing anxiety during the pandemic instead of living with it your entire life, even as a young child.