Child psychologist's advice on how parents can deal with 'enormous' impact of coronavirus crisis on children

The coronavirus pandemic, and the fallout from it, could pose the biggest mental health crisis for children and young people in the UK.

Childline - perhaps the country's best-known service for children who need support - has shared its most recent data and what it tells us about the worrying consequences for 'Generation Covid' with ITV's Tonight programme.

The charity has seen a 37 per cent rise in the number of children aged 11 and under contacting them for mental and emotional health issues during lockdown restrictions.

And worries about what’s happening in the world have increased by more than 150 per cent.

For child psychologist Laverne Antrobus, the mental health toll of the pandemic on young people "feels enormous".

She says "the loss for some children, the mourning of the experience" of missed occasions and milestones is significant.

Here's her advice to anxious parents and grandparents on how to talk to children about the coronavirus crisis and its repercussions.

Watch ‘Generation Covid: Our Children in Crisis? Tonight’, 7.30pm on Thursday 16 July on ITV

If adults are worried about children they can get advice from NSPCC practitioners on 0808 800 5000 or help@nspcc.org.uk

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