The Mental Health Effects of COVID-19 on Children and Adolescents

By: Dr. Lanre Falusi of Children’s National Hospital

As a pediatrician, I am grateful that news reports are focused on the alarming consequences of the novel coronavirus on the mental health of so many Americans. I wish The Post would highlight the deleterious effects of this pandemic on children’s mental health, so often underreported and so consequential to their development. Stable relationships with adults, peer friendships, and education and wraparound services in schools are critical factors that help children thrive. Yet children are experiencing the devastating loss of parents and other loved ones to the novel coronavirus, grief from missing connections to friends and anxiety without their usual supports in school. Younger children struggle to understand this, and older children ache with a pain of missing milestones such as graduations. Black, Latino and Native American communities have been especially affected by worsening inequities. I worry that these traumatic experiences will have lifelong mental and physical health effects. Pediatricians are trained to address mental health concerns, and I encourage parents to consider their pediatrician a source of support and guidance. Now more than ever, we must prioritize the mental health of children and adolescents.

Read on The Washington Post.

Dr. Lanre Falusi of Children’s National Hospital

Olanrewaju (Lanre) Falusi, MD, FAAP is a pediatrician and an Associate Medical Director in the Child Health Advocacy Institute of Children’s National Hospital.  Dr. Falusi’s professional interests and activities include child health advocacy, immigrant and minority health, medical education, early childhood development, and toxic stress.  Dr. Falusi is a Past President of the DC Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (DC AAP) and an Executive Committee member of national AAP’s Council on Immigrant Child and Family Health.  Dr. Falusi has spoken at national conferences on the topics of urban poverty and social determinants of health, and she regularly provides testimony on local and national levels to promote child health and well-being.  She is a Spokesperson for the AAP and has television, radio, blog, and print media experience. Dr. Falusi attended medical school at the University of Virginia and completed residency and chief residency at Children’s National.