For more than 1,200 Chinese children included in the study, mental health clearly declined considerably over the months they were kept out of school. Researchers at Anhui Medical University began tracking the mental health of 1,241 children between ages nine and 15 even before the spring semester was cancelled. Since the pandemic began, K-12 schools and colleges have closed down, sending children and young adults home where they lack the social contact that fosters both development and mental health. But the CDC has said that the educational and mental health benefits of having kids in school outweigh the risk of COVID-19, which is typically mild in children. And if young people are not in school, the mental health effects could drive suicide rates up even further, experts warn.

Source: Daily Mail September 12, 2020 00:33 UTC