Nature Nurtures: COVID-19 and Children's Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone, and our children are no exception. Children have lost many of their everyday activities (occupations) and have been isolated from their friends and school. Earlier this year, SickKids released a study that shows the large majority of children and youth experienced a decrease in their mental health during the first wave of the pandemic.
In their study, they surveyed more than 1,000 parents of children and youth between the ages of 2-18, and almost 350 youth between the ages of 10-18. The study found that more than two thirds of children and youth experienced deterioration in their mental health. This deterioration was mainly associated with the stress related to social isolation. Another notable finding was that across the six domains of mental health (depression, anxiety, irritability, attention span, hyperactivity and obsessions/compulsions), 70% of children aged 6-18 and 66% of children aged 2-5 reported deterioration in at least one of the domains.
Throughout this placement, I have been learning a lot about all the mental health benefits nature has to offer. Countless studies show that spending time outdoors boosts our mental health as it decreases feelings of stress, anxiety or depression.
Some of my favourite ideas that I have learned about that also support mental health are:
Take a family hike- The greatest mental health benefits come when you get away from busy streets and immerse yourself in nature.
Do your everyday activities outside- eating (and cooking) meals outside as a family, reading books, family game night, exercising and more! All of these everyday activities can be enjoyed outdoors.
Sleeping- Sleeping outdoors helps increases serotonin and reduces stress. The fresh air also helps you to sleep longer.
Bring nature inside-Setting up a green space in your house can help increase mental-wellbeing. Consider setting up the area where your child is doing virtual learning!
Let your kids enjoy independent free play- This is a great way for them to gain confidence and resilience!
Unplug from the devices, get outdoors, take deep breaths of fresh air, and relax- your kids will thank you for it!
If you are interested in reading the SickKids study click here