Anxiety levels among young teens fell during the coronavirus pandemic, a study has suggested.
Thirteen to 14-year-olds were less afraid of lockdown than they were last October, according to a University of Bristol survey.
Researchers examined 1,000 high school children in southwest England.
They said the results were a “big surprise” and that it raises questions about the impact of the school environment on teenagers’ mental health.
The findings come after Prof Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical adviser, said children were more likely to be harmed by not going back to school than they were when they caught coronavirus.
The four UK chief medical officers have sought to allay parents’ concerns ahead of schools reopening in the coming days in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Schools in Scotland are already back.
In a joint statement, the four chief medical officers of the nations said evidence suggested that schools “were probably not a common route of transfer.
And in a bid to encourage parents to send children back to school, Boris Johnson said it is “vital” for students to return to class, with the life chances of a generation on the horizon.
Researchers compared findings from a survey taken in October last year to answers given by teenagers in May this year. Both girls and boys recorded decreased levels of anxiety during that time frame.
In October, 54% of girls aged 13 to 14 and 26% of boys of the same age said they were anxious.
When surveyed in May – several weeks after schools were closed to most students and national restrictions on lockdown came into force – the share dropped to 45% of girls and 18% of boys.
Researchers studied for 1,000 years nine students from 17 high schools across the south-west of England.
‘Big surprise’
“With the entire world in the grip of a devastating pandemic that has thrown everyone’s lives into turmoil, the natural expectation would be to see an increase in fears,” said lead author Emily Widnall.
“While we saw some of our participants’ anxiety levels increase, it was a big surprise to discover just the opposite was the case for many of them.”
Miss Widnall said that students who were least connected to school before closing in saw a greater decrease in anxiety, raising questions about how the school environment affects the mental well-being of some younger teens.
Dr Judi Kidger, of the University of Bristol, said: “Our findings raise questions about the role of the school environment in explaining rise in mental health difficulties among adolescents in recent years.
“As schools reopen, we need to consider ways in which schools can be more supportive of mental health for all students.”
There was a 2% reduction in boys at risk of depression and a 3% increase in girls at risk of depression.
The findings are published in a report for the National Institute of Health Research School for Public Health Research.
Meanwhile, the UK’s largest union has accused the government of letting pupils, teachers and parents out of not having a “plan B” when infections go up.
The National Education Union, which represents more than 450,000 members, said more staff, extra learning space and greater clarity on what to do if there is a spike in cases is needed for schools to reopen safely.
It is expected that pupils in Northern Ireland aged seven, 12 and 14 will return to full school on Monday, with the remainder returning from 31 August. In England and Wales, pupils will return to school from 1 September.
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