A new study examining the effects of coronavirus lockdowns on children in the United Kingdom shows their mental health deteriorated “substantially.”
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Cambridge, tracked 168 children between the ages of 7 1/2 and 11 1/2 before and after the government imposed the first lockdown and revealed “ a significant increase in depression symptoms.”
“During the UK lockdown, children’s depression symptoms have increased substantially, relative to before lockdown,” the study read. “The scale of this effect has direct relevance for the continuation of different elements of lockdown policy, such as complete or partial school closures.”
Several studies have shown increased depression and suicidal thoughts in young adults, but the Cambridge research is the first longitudinal study that tracked the mental health effects of lockdowns on young children.
The suffering of children during lockdowns has been a contentious issue in the United States with children in several states being prevented from going to school over the last several months.
Recently, Republican Sen. Rand Paul, a vocal supporter of children being allowed to return to school, called on White House coronavirus response team member Dr. Anthony Fauci to apologize “to every single parent and school-age child in America” for not supporting opening schools earlier.
Data shows that children have a very low risk of dying from the coronavirus, and a study in Germany suggested that children serve as a “brake” on the virus and do not spread it in schools. A study in Scotland published in September showed that adults who are exposed to children may have a decreased risk of contracting the virus.
