London: Young adults, children and adolescents are possibly going to suffer from depression and anxiety for long after the current lockdown ends, according to researchers. They say that the social isolation has instilled a state of loneliness and withdrawal from the society in children. They added saying that the clinical services need to be geared up to receive a spike in demand in the future, post lockdown.
The research is based on 60 already existing, reviewed and analyzed studies regarding subjects which evolve around isolation, loneliness and mental health in young individuals aged 4 to 21. The same has been published in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
“From our analysis, it is clear that there is strong association between loneliness and depression in young people, both in the immediate and the longer term,” said the lead author of the study, Dr Maria Loades from the University of Bath in England.
As per the study and the reviews on it, young people who are alone or feel lonely are more than thrice as likely to be experiencing depression in the future post lockdown. Researchers say that the effects of the deteriorating mental health could last for 9 years, on an average in these people.
A clear piece of evidence also proves that the total time of loneliness holds more importance than the intensity and amount of it. It says that the duration of loneliness increases the risk of developing depression in the future in young individuals.
This comes as a warning to the administrations of the world to expect an increase in the demand for psychologists and mental health service providers in the years to come, according to the analysts.
“There is evidence that it’s the duration of loneliness as opposed to the intensity which seems to have the biggest impact on depression rates in young people. This means that returning to some degree of normality as soon as possible is of course important. However, how this process is managed matters when it comes to shaping young people’s feelings and experiences about this period,” Loades said.
“For our youngest and their return to school from this week, we need to prioritise the importance of play in helping them to reconnect with friends and adjust following this intense period of isolation,” she added.
According to the researchers, the easing of lockdown restrictions should be done in a way that allows all children with the time and opportunity to play with mates, in and outside of school, keeping the social distancing measures intact.
The social and emotional advantages of games and interaction with friends must be plainly communicated, along with the supervision on the risks to children amid the pandemic, the researchers wrote in the journal.
Published last month in BMJ Open journal, another similar study stated that young people with severe mental anguish and instability were at the highest risk of committing suicides. It advised policymakers to take this in account before making any decisions about healthcare provisions.
