Paediatricians in Cayman are reporting a significant increase in child mental health issues over the last two years.
Appearing on the Compass and Rooster 101’s new radio news show ‘Beyond The Headlines,” Integra Healthcare’s Dr Sara Watkin described some children being left “terrified” by the mere mention of the word ‘COVID’.
“I personally think we’ve seen a very big increase in mental health issues within our own practice with the children,” she stated.
According to Watkin, the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic have manifested in various ways for Cayman’s children, including in OCD behaviours.
“We’ve also got children who now are terrified that they’re going to bring COVID into the house, you know, obsessional hand-washing, for example,” she told Rooster host Elizabeth Charles.
The issue of the pandemic’s effect on mental health was in the spotlight at the fifth annual Alex Panton Foundation Symposium, held on 19 Feb. During the conference, Youth Ambassador Isabella Do Vale stressed that “nobody is really doing ok in these uncertain times… it’s very important and unifying to say that everybody is struggling”.
Watkin’s colleague at Integra, fellow paediatrician Dr Siobhan Jaques, said that some of the effects of the pandemic on children might not necessarily appear noticeable at first.
“It could be in their behaviour or in the way they’re interacting with people. It’s outside of the ordinary. And I think we just all need to be very in tune with that and recognise when our children are suffering and talk about it.
“I don’t think we will see the true effects of this for some time to come with our young children,” she said.
Jaques was working in the UK on the frontline of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, at a time when the virus was at its most virulent and unknown and prior to the advent of the vaccines.
“I was very much exposed to COVID. And coming home at the end of the day, my children knew not to approach me in the hallway and I had to strip off and shower straightaway. And that wasn’t a very nice time for us all,” she reflected.
Describing this shared experience as common to healthcare workers across the world, she stressed the importance of taking into account how children are feeling about the experience, and of doing “anything we can do to minimise their risk of getting COVID and normalise their childhood as much as possible”.
Risks of extended quarantine
As a test case into the proportionality of Cayman’s COVID control measures goes before the courts, the doctors highlighted the mental health effects of prolonged periods spent in quarantine.
“Some children have been very, very deeply affected about it, either whether it’s because of being in prolonged quarantine, or isolation, or because of just the the very concept of repeated testing, making them very, very frightened,” Watkin cautioned.
Jaques believes the impact on children in this regard has been “huge”, whether “from missing school through quarantine and isolating, to the knock-on effects of that as well,” which include the complications for working parents having to juggle childcare, trying to do home-schooling and work.
“It’s been a very, very tricky time,” she said.
Both doctors stated that the availability of the vaccine for children aged between five and 11 would help to remove some of these concerns from family life, enabling children to avoid the consequences of daily lateral flow testing and extended quarantine periods.
Resources
Emphasising that admitting you need help was one of the best way parents can support their children, Jaques stressed the importance of seeking support from healthcare professionals.
“Come and see your paediatrician, come and talk to us,” she implored.
“I’m a parent myself, I’m going through this, my children are in this very age bracket. So I understand how difficult it’s been over the past couple of years. And what a road we have ahead of us. But I think talking about it, getting it out in the open, talking as a family, is the first step towards dealing with the problems,” Jaques advised.
Guidance and support is also available through organisations on island such as the Alex Panton Foundation, which also provides resources for young people.
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This is a real problem. Governments (ALL OF THEM) used scare tactics from the very beginning and throughout this FLU season. As I look at this now, I am mortified by the permanent and significant trauma this has caused. All for what? How are families and individuals to be compensated by the absolute disaster that has been the past two years. This will go down in history as a case study in how to divide people and create mental and emotional trauma in our society.
In Canada the mental health problem in children is huge…adults have increased a great deal…tied to alcohol/drugs also….a number of these people are homeless. ALSO
Russia is most definately a serious problem…as you know – The rest of NATO have frozen bank accounts/air travel etc…you do not want Russia to eye your lovely paridise.
OH GEE YOU THINK…..WHO EVER SAW THAT COMING? So funny how so many are “shocked” when most of us could have told you this was going to happen two years ago. MA i wish i could click like on your comment but of course the Compass wouldnt want to allow that and show how many agree with comments like yours. Much like the government the Compass appears scare to allow others who think alike or differently from them to show solidarity.