Physical isolation causes symptoms of psychological distress in children, study reveals

HAVANA, Cuba, Jul 19 (ACN) A study carried out by professors from the Psychology Faculty of the University of Havana and supported by the United Nations Children's Fund ( UNICEF) office in Cuba revealed that due to the confinement in homes as a protection measure against COVID-19, children and adolescents on the island showed symptoms of psychological discomfort.

The website of the Cuban Health Network, Infomed, highlights that among the selected sample, they detected disrupted sleep schedules, irritation and frequent crying, difficulty concentrating, exaggerated appetite, fear and aggressiveness, although in general Cuban children are resilient and do not show symptoms of severe psychological affectation.

Rebellious, defiant and willful behaviors were identified especially in three-year-old children and in those older than twelve, coinciding with two stages that are distinguished by acute developmental transitions that, as a rule, mark the psychological functioning of children in early childhood and adolescents, respectively.

Another of the most frequent symptoms was over-attachment to mothers, described in the study as a very common reaction in childhood due to the search for security and protection when living conditions are significantly modified.

The research also reveals that almost 70 % of the children in the sample offered resistance to study, and 5.5% could not concentrate on their schoolwork.

It is essential, it adds, to take care of the mental health of mothers and fathers, even more so when this is affected by the immense challenge of simultaneously guaranteeing the necessary provisions for life and maintaining family functioning in adverse conditions, requiring completely new ways of organization and action.