Mental health and wellbeing: 10 challenges post-lockdown

There are a whole series of issues that we can expect to see in our pupils in the coming months. To help you spot the signs and take appropriate action, I have outlined below a range of potential concerns and for each I advise at which point we should worry and the suggested next steps.

This article is designed to arm rather than alarm, and I hope it provides some useful pointers. You do not need to know all the answers to be able to significantly help a child who is struggling.

Everyone is going through a tough time and even the most resilient pupils are likely to find that their wellbeing takes a hit. Pupils might seem more anxious than usual; they may be more irritable, angry or upset than a few months ago and in some cases, they may seem a little listless, directionless and just generally ‘not quite themselves’.

It is important to remember that we are in the middle of a pandemic. Things are hard and we have been through a lot. While many children might exhibit some signs that would normally be a red flag for you, as we go through a community-wide process of healing from trauma, our expectations will need to shift a little. However, if there are individual children who stand out as struggling more than their peers, then it will be worth digging a little deeper and putting some additional supports in place.