Pandemic lockdowns and school closures took a toll on Canadian children, witnesses testified at the Commons health committee..Loss of outdoor play, organized sports and classroom activities left a “psychosocial hidden burden,” said a British Columbia researcher..“We found older youth were statistically more likely to report severe difficulties in the psychiatric domain,” testified Dr. Quynh Doan, clinical scientist with the University of B.C. Department of Pediatrics and an emergency room physician at B.C. Children’s Hospital of Vancouver..A survey of 424 children over several months found “psychosocial difficulties were reported by the majority,” she added..“Youth who were not attending any formal educational programs either at home or in person at a time when school would normally be in session were twice more likely to report greater severity in the psychiatry and youth health domains compared to youth who were in full time, in-person school,” said Dr. Doan..Bruce Squires, president of McMaster Children’s Hospital of Hamilton, Ont., said doctors “see children who have been waiting as long as two and-a-half years to access specialized mental health services.”.In-patient admissions for eating disorders were up 90%, said Squires..“Canada’s children and youth have borne the brunt,” said Squires. “Their development — physical, emotional, social, spiritual — has been impacted severely by learning loss, reductions in access to physical activity, social isolation and delays in access to care. The data are striking.”.According to Blacklock's Reporter, the testimony echoed a 2021 Public Health Agency report, Impacts Of The Covid-19 Pandemic On Canadian Children, that said school closures and lockdowns “significantly altered Canadian families’ daily life,” especially boys and girls with disabilities..A total 43% of parents surveyed said they were “very” or “extremely” concerned about their children’s mental health..“The vast majority of parents, about nine in 10, reported their children engaged in screen time at home either daily or almost every day,” said Impacts..“While a large proportion of parents reported concerns about their children’s screen time, more parents — close to three quarters — who have children with cognitive, behavioural or emotional disabilities reported they were ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ concerned with the amount of screen time their children engaged in.”.More than a third of parents said they were also “very” or “extremely” worried about their children’s physical inactivity due to closures of playgrounds and loss of school sports..“More than half of the parents, 59%, reported they were very or extremely concerned about their children’s school year success,” wrote staff.
