Challenges for Child Mental Health Raised by School Closure and Home Confinement During the COVID-19 Pandemic

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The closure of schools during the COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the education of children worldwide. This paper reviews the psychological effects of this action on children and the impact on school-based services. RECENT FINDINGS: Emerging epidemiologic findings have generated an intense debate about the need for, and potential benefit of, school closure in the context of COVID-19. International research reveals reactions in children that are not typically considered in the disaster literature as well as those that arise in other disasters. School closure also has curtailed the delivery of mental health services commonly offered in schools. SUMMARY: The debate about school closure will likely persist depending on local disease conditions and school readiness. Moreover, school closure is a possibility in future epidemics and pandemics and other disasters. The benefit of school closure must be balanced against the risk to children’s education and psychosocial development.