COVID-19 taking bigger toll on kids’ mental health

Photo: Anh Nguyen/Unsplash - The mental health of Australian children has deteriorated significantly over the last year due to COVID-19, new analysis from The Australian National University (ANU) shows. The findings come from a major national survey that asked parents and carers about their views on a range of outcomes for their children. According to the study, parents and carers think COVID-19 has had a large negative impact on mental health for children aged five to 18 years. There were fewer concerns for children aged two to four. Co-author Professor Nicholas Biddle said the mental health of adolescents and young adults was of "particular concern". "We found 71 per cent of parents and carers of Australians aged 15 to 18 reported worsening mental health conditions for their children," Professor Biddle said. "A lot of this is due to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and in particular extended lockdowns.