Dr Ruth Spence, research fellow at Middlesex University, urged the Government not to close schools during the lockdown for the sake of children’s mental well-being.
She said the effects of the first lockdown on young people’s mental health is still being felt, with a spike in children with symptoms of anxiety and depression. She is concerned that if schools were to be closed again the social development of younger children would also be affected.
Dr Spence told the Standard: “Keeping schools open is not a panacea, and people are still going to struggle. But keeping routines in place, giving as much normalcy as possible and providing the support of friendship groups can be reassuring that life is continuing.
“If schools close down that leads to lots of anxiety around what happens, ‘what happens with my schoolwork and exams?’, and for slightly older kids ‘what does that mean for my prospects and my future?’
“It can lead to free-floating anxiety around what is going to happen.”
Children as young as five can show symptoms of mental ill health, she said, with problems sometimes presenting as clinginess, headaches, stomachaches and seeming withdrawn.
Her comments come after the National Education Union launched a campaign to close classrooms during the lockdown.
