Childhood and COVID-19: The indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the well-being of children and adolescents

Abstract

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been overlooked in children and adolescents since many of the negative effects have been the result of containment and mitigation measures and will only be quantifiable in the medium and long term. Although the global response has been successful in reducing the lethality of the disease, the harmful effect on vulnerable populations, such as children and adolescents, is enormous and has been classified as catastrophic by international organizations. The pandemic has deeply affected the physical and mental health of children and adolescents, but also silently its negative effects extend across many areas such as schooling, familiar economy, child labor and food security. The third year of the pandemic is an opportunity to include the multidimensional well-being of children and adolescents as a cornerstone of society’s response to a global crisis, whether health, economic or political.