AS the Covid-19 pandemic extends into a third year, experts have gained a much better understanding of its consequences for the health and development of children and adolescents. They range from learning loss, mental health issues, housing and food insecurity, to contracting the virus itself.
The pandemic has also adversely affected children’s mental health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that 37 percent of high schoolers reported poor mental health and 44 percent reported that they “persistently felt sad or hopeless” during the pandemic. Other research, including a recent surgeon general’s advisory on young people’s mental health, has found higher rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness and other social-emotional issues among children since the pandemic.
Finally, we know that many children have contracted Covid-19—more than 13 million by official counts—though research suggests the numbers are much higher.Policymakers frequently dismiss young people as too immature to participate in the “serious business” of policymaking. This attitude has persisted during the pandemic: Young people have seldom been consulted on public health policy changes that affect them directly, from schools to transportation to public parks.
Research has found that listening to and engaging young people helps adults better understand the challenges children face. Giving young people meaningful opportunities to participate in decisions that affect their lives can lead to important insights about whether particular options will be effective and can help identify more promising solutions.
Moreover, involving young people now will help them develop the skills they need to prepare for adulthood.OUR work suggests that there are various ways adults can partner with children on creating policies and programs during this pandemic, as well as in future public health crises. A few of these include:
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Source: gmanews - 🏆 11. / 68 Read more »
Source: bworldph - 🏆 9. / 68 Read more »
Source: gmanetwork - 🏆 12. / 63 Read more »
Source: BusinessMirror - 🏆 19. / 59 Read more »
PH gov't debt remains manageable—World BankThe World Bank said the Philippine government’s debt load remains manageable despite recent acceleration amid the prolonged pandemic.
Source: manilabulletin - 🏆 25. / 51 Read more »
Source: TheManilaTimes - 🏆 2. / 92 Read more »