The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted communities and people's daily lives, including the lives of children. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools in the U.S. have transitioned from in-person schooling to online schooling to hybrid or back to in-person, which has impacted children's routines and contributed to feelings of instability (Singh et al., 2020). From an occupational therapy (OT) perspective, routines, which is how people use their time and organize their schedules, are important to people as they provide a structure that can promote health or be detrimental (AOTA, 2020). Additionally, studies published in 2020 have indicated a rise in depression, anxiety, and suicidal attempts among children, which is particularly concerning (Jio et al., 2020; Petito et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020). Therefore, there is a critical need to address the mental health of children as they have endured trying times during their childhood.
Studies published within months of school closures have identified the pandemic's negative impact on the mental health of children. Findings have identified the pandemic's association with mental health difficulties, such as stress, fear, worry, and concern (Nearchou et al., 2020). A systematic review regarding the potential impact of the pandemic on children's growth and development indicated that the pandemic could be seen as another factor of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Araujo et al., 2020). Furthermore, our literature review indicated various solutions to address the impact of the pandemic on children's mental health by identifying interventions that target community reintegration, mental health, and roles and routines. The aforementioned are specific areas within the scope of practice of OT. However, only one study from our literature review indicated that OTs could play a significant role in addressing the aftermath of the pandemic (Kamalakannan and Chakraborty, 2020). The lack of consideration for OTs to address the said problems is an awakening call to action for the field of OT to recognize that our services are needed more than ever.
After recognizing the need to develop resources to address the various negative consequences on children's mental health, we conducted a needs assessment and interviewed K-6 teachers and school-based OTs. Specifically, we inquired about the social and emotional challenges amongst their students due to the dramatic shift in the students' routines, roles, and social context. We identified some common themes, which included a need for interventions to address heightened stress and anxiety, grief and loss, social stories, self-care routines, parent education, and most importantly, social-emotional learning across various environments.
Upon identifying the needs, we developed a compilation of digital resources for OTs, teachers, and parents, including interventions, parent education, and generalizable classroom strategies. A challenge that many of the teachers and occupational therapists emphasized was the increased workload caused by the many transitions from the pandemic. Therefore, their ability to explore specific evidence-based practices and strategies to address their students' mental health is often minimal. Our resources will help to meet the needs of students, teachers, OTs, and parents by helping them to navigate the ever-evolving shift in roles and routines that affect mental health and wellbeing. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our goal is to promote resiliency among the nation's children by equipping them with resources that have been informed by an occupational therapy lens.
Studies published within months of school closures have identified the pandemic's negative impact on the mental health of children. Findings have identified the pandemic's association with mental health difficulties, such as stress, fear, worry, and concern (Nearchou et al., 2020). A systematic review regarding the potential impact of the pandemic on children's growth and development indicated that the pandemic could be seen as another factor of Adverse Childhood Experiences (Araujo et al., 2020). Furthermore, our literature review indicated various solutions to address the impact of the pandemic on children's mental health by identifying interventions that target community reintegration, mental health, and roles and routines. The aforementioned are specific areas within the scope of practice of OT. However, only one study from our literature review indicated that OTs could play a significant role in addressing the aftermath of the pandemic (Kamalakannan and Chakraborty, 2020). The lack of consideration for OTs to address the said problems is an awakening call to action for the field of OT to recognize that our services are needed more than ever.
After recognizing the need to develop resources to address the various negative consequences on children's mental health, we conducted a needs assessment and interviewed K-6 teachers and school-based OTs. Specifically, we inquired about the social and emotional challenges amongst their students due to the dramatic shift in the students' routines, roles, and social context. We identified some common themes, which included a need for interventions to address heightened stress and anxiety, grief and loss, social stories, self-care routines, parent education, and most importantly, social-emotional learning across various environments.
Upon identifying the needs, we developed a compilation of digital resources for OTs, teachers, and parents, including interventions, parent education, and generalizable classroom strategies. A challenge that many of the teachers and occupational therapists emphasized was the increased workload caused by the many transitions from the pandemic. Therefore, their ability to explore specific evidence-based practices and strategies to address their students' mental health is often minimal. Our resources will help to meet the needs of students, teachers, OTs, and parents by helping them to navigate the ever-evolving shift in roles and routines that affect mental health and wellbeing. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our goal is to promote resiliency among the nation's children by equipping them with resources that have been informed by an occupational therapy lens.