AN increase in the number of Covid-19 clusters involving education institutions is taking a toll on the mental health of parents and students, warned psychology experts.

Apart from worrying about their children’s safety at school, parents are also juggling between their work and online lessons for their children, which require their supervision.

For Christina Chia, having to supervise her two children – one in secondary school and the other in primary school – is wearing her out.

The older child has to rotate between online lessons and physical classes while the younger one attends physical school every day.

The 36-year-old Chia finds herself constantly checking the schools’ WhatsApp group for parents for updates on Covid-19 infections, and only feels relaxed when her children arrive home at the end of the school day.

“My worries have grown since news of new Covid-19 outbreaks in schools. It’s reaching a point where I’m considering getting some help for my mental health,” Chia said.

The number of Covid-19 clusters from the education sector has doubled in one week as of April 17, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba told the weekly press conference on Covid-19 vaccination updates.

This amounted to 49 active virus clusters from education institutions. The number is around 18% of all current active clusters. Workplaces and community transmissions are still the top two cluster types.

Outbreaks in schools and education institutions have also led to all schools in Sarawak’s Covid-19 red zones to be closed for two weeks effective April 20 while 19 schools in the Petaling district in Selangor were also ordered temporarily closed due to new outbreaks.

Single mother Jenny Lim fears an outbreak at her child’s school as she cannot afford to skip work to be at home.

“If school were to close, I would have to ask my parents for their help to look after my child while I work. Fortunately, I still have family members who can help,” she said.

“But the uncertainty is making me anxious every day. My child also doesn’t want to go to school, and every day, I have to deal with that. While I prefer online lessons, I also fear that this will take a toll on my child’s social skills.”

How parents can help their children and themselves

Psychologists and therapists told The Malaysian Insight that the experiences of these mothers are similar to the cases they are currently seeing.

Some said they noticed a 50% increase in patients who are parents and children since the imposition of the second movement control order earlier this year.

Lee Shae Nee, a counsellor, said parents must affirm to their children that they have a safe space to express themselves.

She also suggested four ways parents and children can open up to one another.

The first step is to use a “mood thermometer” to gauge the child’s mood and check for signs of anxiety. This involves getting the child to “rate” how he or she feels at the moment on a score from 0 to 10. Numbers are used as a gauge since children may not know how to express what they feel.

Lee said this thermometer could be used in the morning, after the child comes home from school, and at night, to provide an opening for the child to talk about his or her feelings.

On the parents’ part, they should not be too hard on themselves by not blaming themselves for being unable to protect their children at all times. At the same time, they should also be more tolerant towards their children, Lee added.

Thirdly, keeping to a routine is important for children, Lee said, as it affirms a sense of security. If school is closed suddenly, parents must ensure the child sticks to a timetable at home, for lessons as well as for other activities.

Fourthly, parents should give their full cooperation to teachers and the school to contain the spread of Covid-19.

“Standard operating procedures (SOP) at schools cannot be relied on alone, parents also have to do their part,” said Lee.

Psychologist Alice Lee said she is seeing a 50% increase in anxiety disorders.

“People become more worried during a health crisis. When we find that we can’t control the events around us, depression and other mental health issues can happen,” she said.

Among teens, Alice said, some of the cases she is handling have lost self-confidence and interest in their studies.

They feel hopelessness about life and do not want to go to university after completing their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia.

“They feel confused and anxious about the future. Their lives as teenagers have become boring; they have nothing other than the internet to spend time on. Things like this will affect their mental health,” said Alice.

If parents cannot control their own emotions and end up arguing in the home, this will exacerbate their condition further for teenagers.

However, the pandemic has also made more people aware of the importance of mental health.

Parents who are aware must make the effort to keep open communication lines with their children.

“They can do simple activities such as watching TV together, having meals together and working towards a healthier home environment instead of each being glued to their own phone,” said Alice.

“This will help the children feel more loved and supported.”

Physical exercises to relax the mind and body and release tension, or even meditation, will help, as a healthy lifestyle is one of the best defences against the added stress brought on by the pandemic, she added. – April 22, 2021.