School Safety: How much has COVID-19 impacted students’ mental health, behavior?

The COVID-19 pandemic touched almost every part of our lives, and education was no exception. With schools closed, classes moving online and parents taking the roles of teachers, it took a toll on students’ mental health and behavior.

For many students, school was not just a place to learn. It was a place to socialize and form connections with peers.

Reinhold, owner of Northern Lights Therapy, believes the lockdown in 2020 greatly contributed to behavioral issues the district is now facing.

“The COVID solution to schooling was not a traditional setup by any means,” Reinhold said. “Many people feel like they lost literal years off their lives.”

Reinhold’s practice has clinicians who treat children as young as 6. She believes they missed a huge developmental piece when they were forced to do online school.

The lack of face-to-face interaction with classmates and teachers left many young students feeling disconnected and alone, leading to feelings of anxiety, depression and stress.

“When the kids came back to school after the shutdown, they weren’t used to being around other people,” Reinhold said. “They didn’t even know how to ‘play with’ other kids.”

A third-grader, for example, who was at home during first and second grades, was in a classroom for the first time.

Students returning to the classroom had to learn to communicate and conduct themselves while managing their grades.

During the two years of the pandemic, there was lack of routine and structure, Reinhold said. Students had more free time. It highlighted how some kids and teens may have had underlying mental-health issues, she said.

Now, many students are experiencing a range of emotions — irritability, agitation and impulsivity — which can lead to an increase in defiance, noncompliance and aggression, according to Reinhold.

Although there might not be a clear-cut solution, Reinhold suggests the district take a step back to the basics.

“I just think we need to make sure all of the kids truly get caught up instead of pushing them through,” Reinhold said. “It’s not their fault that they are struggling to catch up. We’re still holding them to pre-COVID standards.”

Moving forward, Reinhold and the district will work together to raise awareness of mental-health concerns and coordinate with school counselors.

“There are a lot of good things coming in the next year,” Reinhold said.

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