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it remains a pipe dream for others due to financial limitations
amongst other factors. Two years is long time and children may even
forget about what they learnt before the outbreak of Covid 19, especially
those at primary school level whose syllabus had just changed.
If a student had been failing to grasp some of the concepts during face
to face lessons, he or she is most likely to experience worse difficulties
when attending online lesson where they may be unable to directly
interact with the teacher at times. The closure of educational institutions
at all levels has also contributed to weakening of protective
factors, including daily routine and social interactions that help maintain
good mental health. A case in point is that children from abusive
backgrounds had to stay home with the “devil” daily.
A reduction of infections in Zimbabwe resulted in the easing up of
Covid pandemic restrictions in February 2022, including the opening
of schools to face to face lessons. However, this relief was short-lived
as the opening of schools coincided with job action by teachers who
are demanding a salary raise. The question is are we doing our best as
a nation to provide our children with a conducive environment to
learn or simply flushing a whole generation down the drain?
According to American Journal of Emergency Medicine, (2020),
Violence and substance abuse rose by 25-33 percent globally during
the Covid pandemic induced lockdowns. Lee Savio Beers, MD, president
of the American Academy of Pediatrics and Medical Director
for Community health and advocacy at Children’s National Hospital
in Washington, DC observes that the mental health of children and
teens is at a critical tipping point. Some children who were exposed to
these vices have to attend school without receiving any counselling. In
addition, Covid 19 related deaths have robbed some children and
families of bread winners who used to pay for their school fees and no
one has come forward to fill this gap. This uncertainty can lead to
depression and anxiety which may adversely affect a child’s focus in
school and outlook on life. This urgently calls for adequate support
and timely intervention to enable these children to bounce back as we
recover from the COVID 19 crisis. If the mental health dimension is
left unaddressed, the effects of the Covid 19 pandemic will continue
to cast a shadow over the lives of young people and a whole generation
can be lost.
The uncertainties and broad impacts of COVID 19 affected societal
groups differently. young people were 30% to 80% more likely to
report symptoms of depression or anxiety than adults in Belgium,
France and the United States in March 2021. Higher levels of loneliness
have also been reported by young people. This can be accredited
to various factors hence mental health experts are encouraging
people to seek help and even attend family therapy sessions as we live
through this traumatic experience. While some people do not believe
in therapy, bottling up emotions will always affect one’s life.
The government is called upon to improve mental health support
systems for all as the Covid pandemic disrupted lives at all levels of
It is recommended that the government
utilises available psychologists who are in
excess amongst its skilled labour force to
service the people at the above-mentioned
institutions, amongst others. The use of
different platforms such as mental health
hotlines and youth centers enabled by online
tools is also suggested. Additionally, building
the capacity of Village Health Workers on
identifying mental disorders and counselling
could go a long way in improving access to
mental health care services to children and
other populations residing in rural areas.
Picture by Pixelgraphy Zimbabwe
Does mental illness
run in families?
Sometimes there are a few people in a family
who have the same mental illness. Other
times only one person in the family has a
mental illness.
• Some research suggests that mental illness
can run in families.
• We do not fully understand what causes
mental illness , or why it can be passed on in
family members.
• Mental illness may be passed on for different
reasons not just genes.
• Having a family member with a mental
illness doesn’t mean that you or a family
member are also going to become unwell
• There are things you can do to look after
your mental health if you are worried about
mental illness running in your family.
Keep following us as we explain more
about mental illness and how to stay
Feb 2022 Issue 1 Mental Balance 33