The government has admitted that the psychological impact of the Covid pandemic on primary school children’s mental health “is still being felt” – more than a year after the government restrictions ended.
The revelation was made as the Department of Education announced a €5 million pilot programme of counselling and mental health supports for primary schools on Wednesday.
“The new programme is designed to recognise the impact of Covid-19 on primary school-aged children and will work to mitigate the mental health challenges, which may be experienced in schools,” the Department said in a statement.
Education Minister Norma Foley added that she was “pleased” to roll out the scheme, Minister of State for Special Education and Inclusion, Josepha Madigan TD, said she was “delighted” with the new plan.
Madigan added: “There is no doubt that the impact of Covid-19 on our children’s mental health is still being felt. This pilot will provide for an allocation of one-to-one counselling sessions for primary schools.”
Despite the revelation that many young children are suffering from ill mental health effects due to Covid-19, children were not a significant at-risk group for the virus. According to HSE data, the median age of death for Covid-19 was 82 – which is the same as the average life expectancy.
According to the most recent data publicly available, no children under the age of 12 died of Covid-19 in Ireland, and just 16 individuals under 25 died out of almost 9,000 deaths total.
The news comes just weeks after a report from the Children’s Ombudsman revealed that a 10-year-old girl in Ireland developed a severe anxiety-related eating disorder and an “intense fear of infection” due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“She stopped eating, was rapidly losing weight…and became incontinent”: The Children’s Ombudsman of Ireland has claimed that a 10-year-old girl developed an anxiety-related eating disorder an “intense fear of infection” due to Covid-19.#gripthttps://t.co/KFlOMXl1LR
— gript (@griptmedia) May 16, 2023
According to this year’s statement by the Chief Medical Officer, it seems that the Covid-19 lockdown has had a significant effect on individuals’ mental well-being. Even a year after most restrictions were lifted, many elderly individuals continue to isolate themselves from Covid-19, resulting in experiences of “loneliness” and “isolation.”
“Your compliance…played a significant role in Ireland’s success”: The Chief Medical Officer has said that many old people are still isolating from Covid a year after the restrictions ended, leading to “loneliness” and “isolation.”#gripthttps://t.co/DnAtFgLD6e
— gript (@griptmedia) March 1, 2023