COVID-19 and student mental health – Let’s ditch the despair
Writing in the Education Forum’s regular column for Teach Secondary magazine, Sarah Standish explains why going heavy on the negative predictions concerning young people’s post-COVID mental health carries its own set of risks…
When the world dramatically changes to the point where life as we knew it is but a memory, it’s reasonable to evaluate and consider the resulting impact on the human experience.
Consequently, over the past few months we’ve been bombarded by news items informing us of the many negative ways in which lockdown and the pandemic have, and will continue to affect most areas of our lives.
More recently, headlines have described the future of our young people in damning terms – but the messages they carry may actually be harmful.
This may sound controversial coming from a professional counsellor based at a large secondary school. In my 28-year counselling career, I’ve never been more acutely aware of the losses, pressures and concerns that young people are facing. I see the impact of the pandemic on a daily basis – which is why I feel we need to be more measured and thoughtful in how we discuss and debate its impact on our children’s future...
Read the full article on Teachwire.