Helping Children Thrive: The COVID-19 Pandemic's Impact on Health and Well-being

Prevalence of mental health in children: Whitney DG, Peterson MD. US National and State-Level Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders and Disparities of Mental Health Care Use in Children. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(4):389–391. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.5399

Impacts of pandemic worsen children’s mental health: TIME. The Coronavirus Seems to Spare Most Kids From Illness, but Its Effect on Their Mental Health Is Deepening. August 03, 2020.

Increase in children's poverty rates: Parolin, Z. & Wimer, C. Center on Poverty and Social Policy at Columbia University. Forecasting Estimates of Poverty during the COVID-19 Crisis: Poverty Rates in the United States Could Reach Highest Levels in Over 50 Years.

Lack of child care - job loss: Results from survey conducted by Northeastern University and shared by The Washington Post. Long, Heather. The Big Factor Holding Back the U.S. Economic Recovery: Child Care. July 03, 2020.

Lack of child care - closures: Bipartisan Policy Center. Nationwide Survey: Child Care in the Time of Coronavirus.

Education & the digital divide: Common Sense Media. K–12 Student Digital Divide Much Larger Than Previously Estimated and Affects Teachers, Too, New Analysis Shows.

Food Insecurity before COVID: Coleman‐Jensen, A., Rabbitt, M. P., Gregory, C. A., & Singh, A. (2019). Household food security in the United States in 2019, ERR‐270 U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service.

COVID-19 Food Insecurity among Children: Schanzenbach, D. W., & A. Pitts. (2020). How much has food insecurity risen? Evidence from the Census Household Pulse Survey. Institute for Policy Research Rapid Research Report.

Housing Insecurity: National Alliance to End Homelessness. Children and Families.

Intimate partner violence: SAMHSA. Intimate Partner Violence and Child Abuse Considerations During COVID-19.

Rise in domestic violence during COVID-19: Ahmed, Robin Bleiweis and Osub. Ensuring Domestic Violence Survivors' Safety. Center for American Progress.

Child abuse reports: Schmidt, Samantha. The Centers Helping Child Abuse Victims Have Seen 40,000 Fewer Kids amid the Pandemic. The Washington Post. August 19. 2020.

4 pillars of emotion regulation: Tabor School of Business at Millikin University, HOME WELLNESS: COPE WITH COVID-19 STRESS

Create a self-care plan:

• Zero to Three, Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care

Address stress: UCSF Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Addressing Parenting Stress During COVID-19

Talk to children about the pandemic:

• Healthychildren.org, Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home
• American Psychological Association, How to talk to children about difficult news

Moderate news & social media: Zero to Three, Young Children at Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak: The Importance of Self-Care

Consider mental health support or therapy: American Psychological Association, What Is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?

Model and teach children healthy coping strategies: Healthychildren.org, Parenting in a Pandemic: Tips to Keep the Calm at Home

NIHCM webinar on early childhood development, ACEs and the COVID-19 pandemic

ACEs Connection

Center for the Developing Child, Harvard University