Protecting the psychological health of children through effective communication about COVID-19

Sensitive and age-appropriate conversations about life-threatening illness have a known positive impact on young people’s long-term wellbeing. When accurate and transparent information on changes within the family is missing, children may try to make sense of circumstances on their own. But, inaccurate or partial knowledge can lead to excessively negative interpretations of the pandemic and the family situation.

The authors also argue that children and young people are highly attuned to their carer’s mental states. Thus, being exposed to behaviours and emotions that may seem unexplained or unpredictable, may increase young people’s anxiety and sense of threat. Conversely, unfiltered and age-inappropriate communication may lead to self-blame or unrealistic feelings. For instance, a young child may believe that an illness is a punishment for previous bad behaviour. Also, an absence of emotion-focused conversations might leave children anxious about the emotional state of the adults around them. This anxiety can result in children’s avoidance of voicing their worries, leaving children to cope with difficult feelings alone.

The authors recommend that adults should be honest about some of the uncertainty and threat posed by the pandemic without overwhelming young people with their fears. This authentic stance offers a coherent narrative for what young people are observing while also opening the space for talking about their own emotions and thoughts.