Colman Noctor: We need to prioritise the mental health of our young people in 2022

The voice of the child has been notably absent in pandemic discussions up to now

Picture: iStock 

When we reflect on the year that’s been, it is tempting to consider it as a 22-month period rather than the traditional 12-month year. The arrival of the pandemic in March 2020 was a landmark moment, signalling the end of an era and the beginning of another. Whether Covid-19 has changed us irreversibly is up for debate, but in my view, it has left a significant psychological mark that will take several years to reverse.

I have been asked many times about the impact of Covid on children’s mental health and if it will have a lasting effect on their development. At the start of the pandemic, I answered by saying, ‘it depends how long it lasts’. As we find ourselves in the fourth wave, we can begin to better understand the potential long-term impact.

We know that people with underlying conditions or older are more vulnerable to the physical impact of Covid-19. There are also outliers, people described as being ‘in the whole of their health’ before contracting the illness, but who have suffered irreversibly due to the virus.

The same can be said of the impact on children's mental health. Those who would have had underlying anxiety or mood issues were significantly impacted psychologically by the pandemic. They could not access their support services or partake in activities that supported their wellbeing. I am especially thinking of children with additional needs or those from troubled homes, or those on the cusp of dropping out of education, for whom school was their lifeline. The prolonged school closures have had an immeasurable detrimental effect on their development.

But there were others whom I would have described as ‘well-adjusted’ young people who were thriving pre-pandemic but suffered significantly from a psychological perspective. These young people were typically previously involved in lots of activities, and their friendships and hobbies nurtured their self-worth. They suffered hugely when the restrictions occurred, struggling to manage the isolation, developing significant anxieties around re-engaging with their world. Unfortunately, many have yet to re-establish their pre-pandemic form.

Missing out on social milestones 

A more pervasive impact of the pandemic on children’s mental health has been the lack of opportunity for emotional and social growth. Key opportunities to mature, such as the three-week trip to Irish college, a meaningful TY work experience, or the laboratory of life such as the teenage disco, were not available. And so the emotional growth spurts that would have traditionally occurred did not happen. 

We often hear that ‘kids are resilient’. Despite my dislike of the phrase, as it can be misused as an excuse to do nothing, there is some degree of truth in it. However, I believe it should read ‘some children are resilient, and others are less so, but given the right support they can be OK too’. Admittedly, this is a less catchy version.

I have been lucky enough to work with young people for most of my 26-year career. I have met children I would describe as ‘heroes’ in that time. These young people have managed to overcome horrifying trauma and abuse, battle soul-destroying eating disorders, assert themselves against demonising voices in their heads and survive the most horrendous bullying. 

Many people mistake children who seek mental health support as fragile or weak when nothing could be further from the truth. What I see is the opposite of that. I see brave, courageous young people who have been dealt a raw deal but who rise in the face of adversity. Importantly, they’ve had the opportunity to ask for support and guidance.

From suicidal attempts to self-harm, I have seen young people fight back and prosper. There will be no medal, prize or points for these young people but what they have managed to do outstrips any achievement in an exam hall or sports field. The strongest people I have ever met have been in my therapy room or the in numerous residential mental health facilities I have had the privilege of working in. It has been an honour to have journeyed alongside so many of them, and I have learned far more from them than they have ever gleaned from me.

We need to recognise challenges young people are facing 

I believe the majority of our young people will ride out the pandemic storm with minimal long-term disruption. Despite their limited life experience, the amount of trauma a young person can withstand is truly astounding. But, we need to recognise the challenges they are facing and set up the right supports to help them come through. 

Many of the young people I have seen over the past 22 months would not have required any intervention had it not been for the impact of the pandemic. This suggests they have the skill set to negotiate a non-pandemic world. So when normality resumes, they will be able to re-activate those abilities and continue their onward development. 

 Our biggest danger is an irreversible dent in children’s spirit and hope. We must do everything we can to fend off feelings of resignation and hopelessness. Protecting our children’s emotional wellbeing and self-worth is far more important at this time than ensuring that their academic abilities stay on track. We need to place a new value on  ‘joy’, ‘hope’ and ‘connection’, essential coping skills for surviving a pandemic storm.

When young people do not overcome psychological adversity, it can come down to a lack of support, the inability to access appropriate services or systemic failures to pick up a problem early enough. We need to be acutely aware of what young people have had to negotiate in the past 22 months. The combination of high-octane life stressors and the lack of access to the life experiences that would traditionally help them cope has been a ‘perfect storm’.

But if we can understand these challenges, rein in our expectation that they ‘keep up’ with pre-pandemic standards and provide them with the support to make up for the social and emotional losses brought about by Covid-19, then we will be doing all we can to ensure they come out of this with as few pandemic hang-ups as possible.

A planned route back to normality

In his most recent trip to the plinth to address the nation, the Taoiseach thanked the children of Ireland for all they have done so far, and rightly so. Our young people have shown great maturity in how they have isolated for the sake of the vulnerable people in our society. But from here on out, we need to move from plaudits to provisions. 

Young people need a sense of containment and safety which can be best provided by consistency and a predictable structure or a planned route back to normal. They need to be validated for all they have missed out on, and their losses need to be recognised and taken into account. They also need to be involved and heard in 2022 as the voice of the child has been notably absent in any pandemic discussions up to now. And they need support. 

The adults in the room must prioritise the mental health of young people and do all that we can in the year ahead to recognise the importance of real-life experiences as essential tools in developing life skills.