COE0015
Written evidence submitted by the Suicide and Self-Harm research group in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University
This report is submitted by members of the Suicide and Self-Harm research group in the School of Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University: Dr Emma Ashworth, Dr Pooja Saini, Dr Catrin Eames, Dr Jennifer Chopra, Dr Shane McLoughlin, Anna Hunt, Dr Joanna Kirkby, and Prof David Putwain. The group has expertise in mental health and wellbeing, specifically child and adolescent mental health, prevention and promotion strategies, and risk and resilience in mental health. The group conducted the ‘Adolescent Lockdown-Induced Coping Strategies’ (ALICE) study, examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people aged 11-14 in the North West of England from September-December 2020. Approximately 300 young people participated from five schools in the region. Data collection consisted of quantitative surveys and qualitative one-to-one interviews with a sub-sample of participants (N=14). Questionnaires asked participants what their lockdown looked like, and presented a series of measures examining their mental health and wellbeing, including internalising difficulties (e.g., anxiety, depression) and externalising difficulties (e.g., behaviour/conduct or attention problems), resilience factors, optimism, and help-seeking strategies. Interviews asked participants about their experiences of lockdown, home-learning, and returning to school. Follow-up data is currently being collected with the young people, and interviews are being conducted with parents regarding their perceptions of the impact of the pandemic on their children. We are submitting our report to this call for evidence as our findings provide a detailed insight into how young people were impacted by lockdown and school closures, including whether they perceived themselves to be effectively supported in home-learning.
Results from the ALICE study survey identified several demographic factors that were associated with poorer mental health outcomes during lockdowns. For instance, those who were eligible for free school meals had greater externalising mental health difficulties, while young people who were from a Black or Minority Ethnic (BAME) background also had greater externalising difficulties as well as poorer levels of overall wellbeing. Girls were significantly more likely to experience internalising mental health difficulties, and had lower levels of overall wellbeing and optimism during lockdown. Furthermore, young people who had a history of mental health difficulties had significantly lower levels of optimism and overall wellbeing, and were more likely to experience both internalising and externalising difficulties. Young people with a special educational need or disability (SEND) had significantly lower levels of overall wellbeing, and had higher rates of both internalising and externalising difficulties during lockdown. Finally, those who lived in households that experienced greater levels of hardship (e.g., loss of jobs, money worries, eviction from home, trouble accessing food or medication, hospitalisation) had significantly lower levels of optimism and overall wellbeing, and higher levels of internalising and externalising difficulties. Thus this evidence suggests that vulnerable or disadvantaged children experienced worse mental health symptoms during the COVID-19 lockdowns and the period of home-learning, indicating that they were not effectively supported during this time.
Findings from the qualitative interviews with young people helped provide an explanation for these heightened levels of mental health difficulties. Young people reported feeling a range of emotions during lockdown including anger and frustration, nervousness and sadness, and boredom and confusion. Young people mainly attributed these emotions to the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic presented, loss of hobbies and experiences, missing friends and opportunities for socialising, and worries about family members catching COVID-19. Some expressed frustration with the Government’s handling of the pandemic, suggesting that the restrictions put in place were reactive. The Media was also the source of some concern, as they found the reporting of the pandemic (specifically the death toll) alarming. This suggests that young people did not feel their mental health and wellbeing was effectively supported by Government policies and practices during lockdowns.
However, by far the largest concern for the young people interviewed was home-learning, and the subsequent return to school. All young people commented on the difficulties of this. The main issue for most young people was being away from their teacher. They found completing their work without the support of their teacher hard and felt their confidence had been knocked; they missed being able to ask them questions and get feedback on their work. Being able to communicate with their teacher via email did not feel satisfactory, even though they acknowledged their teachers were doing their best to help. They also commented how they found not having a clear structure to their day difficult, and missed having their teacher there to keep them motivated and on track. Even when they returned to school during the winter term of 2020, they noted that they still could not get close to their teacher to ask questions and had to wait for their work to be quarantined before they could receive feedback, which they found difficult. These findings highlight just how important teachers’ support is to pupils, and that online learning is not an adequate replacement for daily face-to-face contact. It also indicates that pupils did not feel adequately supported with the move to home-learning. This should not be understated, and emphasises how important it is to enable young people to have regular access to their teachers throughout the pandemic and as we emerge from it.
Other concerns around school focused on difficulties using technology for home-learning. Young people expressed how learning to use new software for home learning was a challenge, and that they did not always have adequate technological equipment to be able to fully access the online work. As this issue is likely to disproportionately affect families from low socio-economic backgrounds, it appears that disadvantaged children were not effectively supported with the move to home-learning. Furthermore, young people struggled without daily social interaction with their peers. They missed their friends, and found the lack of independence and autonomy hard. Early adolescence is a key time for identity formation, which is characterised by spending larger amounts of time away from the family, and peers becoming increasingly important. Peers are also a vital source of mental health support for this age group. Thus, the extended amount of time children have been required to stay away from their peers may indicate that their personal and social development has not been adequately accounted for during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Even when they returned to school, their socialisation was restricted through the bubbles that were implemented. This was particularly challenging for young people who had recently started at secondary school, as they did not know anyone in their class. School transitions are a crucial period in children’s development, and it appears that some did not feel effectively supported during this time.
Finally, whilst interviews with parents regarding the impact of lockdown on their children is ongoing, preliminary findings echo the same issues reported by young people. Parents appear to feel that their children are better off in school, both socially and in terms of educational progression. All parents interviewed so far have described issues with home-schooling in terms of Internet connectivity problems, trouble accessing documents, and not having enough equipment (e.g., laptops and tablets). All parents also described how their children lacked structure and routine while engaging in home-learning.
To summarise, the findings from the ALICE study suggest certain vulnerable and disadvantaged groups experienced poorer mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown. Findings also indicate that one of the main issues for young people was difficulties with home-schooling, due to the absence of face-to-face contact with teachers and lack of technological equipment. Therefore, this report adds significantly to evidence regarding the Department for Education’s effectiveness in supporting young people during the COVID-19 lockdowns.
References
Ashworth, E, McLoughlin, S, Saini, P, Chopra, J, Eames, C and Hunt, A. (2021) Young people's mental health and wellbeing in the North West during the COVID-19 pandemic: The ALICE study evidence briefing. LJMU.
Ashworth, E; Hunt, A; Chopra, J; Eames, C; Putwain, D. W.; Duffy, K; et al. (2021): Adolescents’ Lockdown-Induced Coping Experiences (ALICE) study: A qualitative exploration of early adolescents’ experiences of lockdown and reintegration. Advance. Preprint. https://doi.org/10.31124/advance.14046032.v1
March 2021