Psychological Distress among Children of Healthcare Professionals During COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the psychosocial well-being of people and societies worldwide. 

A new prospective, interventional study evaluated the psychological distress of children aged 6-19 whose parents worked in the healthcare sector. 

Here, parents were interviewed through questionnaires – based on indicators of psychological distress outlined in the UNICEF and Childline's manual "Psychosocial Support for Children during COVID-19,". A reevaluation was conducted using the same questionnaire 15 days after an intervention––which involved counseling and the utilization of toolkits provided in the manual.

It was observed that children with both parents working in healthcare exhibited the highest mean (SD) score. However, a notable decrease in psychological distress was observed after parents received information about the UNICEF and Childline's manual.

Moreover, counseling activities and toolkits recommended in the manual proved effective in reducing psychological distress among children during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results suggest that counseling parents and utilizing the toolkits outlined in UNICEF and Childline's manual are valuable strategies for alleviating psychological distress in children.

Source: Sharma P, Poswal L, Jyani R, Chandel R. Indian Pediatr. 2024 Jan;61:53-6.