Last updated April 30, 2021.
For some families, the COVID-19 pandemic may have severe and long-lasting effects. Some children will have lost parents or guardians, others may have been pushed into poverty or near-poverty due to income instability. More children and their families are experiencing food insecurity and housing instability, among other social needs. For school-aged children, remote learning and separation from school have posed new and different challenges for socio-emotional development and mental health. In addition to these factors, the pandemic continues to exact a toll on the mental health of children and families through exposure to stress, trauma, and grief.
The resources below are intended as a starting point for pediatric health care providers to find resources that may help them address the ongoing needs of children and families affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and support them through the pandemic recovery period.
For even more information on how to support children and families by effectively addressing their social needs, and other resources for supporting parents and promoting positive parenting, view UHF’s Pediatrics for an Equitable Developmental Start resource pages.
1. Infographics and fact sheets, suitable for display or distribution in the office/practice
Positive Parenting
Infographic on parenting behaviors that foster a child’s capacity to love, trust, learn, and grow.
English
Spanish
Source: Zero to Three
Managing Your Own Emotions: The Key to Positive, Effective Parenting
Guidance for parents on the influence their reactions have on children’s behavior and tips on how to respond to help children develop and foster their coping skills.
English
Spanish
Source: Zero to Three
Helping Children Cope with Stress During the 2019 n-CoV Outbreak
World Health Organization infographic on helping children cope with stress during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Source: World Health Organization Information Network for Epidemics
Coping with Stress During the 2019 nCoV Outbreak
World Health Organization infographic on coping with stress during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Source: World Health Organization Information Network for Epidemics
Talking with Children: Tips for Caregivers, Parents, and Teachers During Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Fact sheet for parents, caregivers, and teachers with strategies for helping children manage their stress during an infectious disease outbreak. It describes potential reactions among youth and the support adults can provide to help them.
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
Resources for Helping Kids and Parents Cope Amidst COVID-19
This page features several resources from AACAP and others on aspects of helping children understand and cope with coronavirus, including discussions of sheltering in place, managing stress, and children’s exposure to news.
Source: American Academy for Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
NASEM Forum for Children’s Wellbeing COVID-19 Resources
A comprehensive list of resources for parents, child-focused professionals, and health care providers on health care, supports for children with special needs, the mental health needs of parents, policy efforts, and medical professional education material on the coronavirus.
Source: National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Fact sheet from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.
Source: NYCDOHMH
COVID-19 Fact Sheets in 30+ Languages
From the COVID-19 Health Literacy Project, created in collaboration with Harvard Health Publishing.
Source: COVID-19 Health Literacy Project
2. Practice parameters and guidance
Disaster and Trauma Clinician Resource Center
Practice parameters for clinicians on trauma, grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other resources related to responding to disasters and trauma.
Source: American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Promoting Adjustment and Helping Children Cope
General resources for health care providers to guide their work with families and children on adjustment and coping with crises. Includes links to professional guidance, materials to share with parents, as well as instructional videos for clinicians on topics ranging from psychological first aid and assisting children with managing grief and loss to post-traumatic stress disorder and managing secondary traumatic stress.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Secondary Traumatic Stress: A Fact Sheet for Child-Serving Providers
Professional-facing fact sheet on secondary traumatic stress in children and its potential impact on child-serving professionals. Outlines options for assessment, prevention, and interventions relevant to secondary stress.
Source: National Child Traumatic Stress Network
CDC Guidance on COVID-19 for Pediatric Providers
Up-to-date information for health care providers of children (age 1-18) with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and caring for children generally during the pandemic.
Source: CDC
CDC Guidance for Evaluating and Managing Neonates at Risk for COVID-19
Guidance on caring for neonates (≤28 days old) with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, including those born to a mother with suspected or confirmed COVID-19.
Source: Source: CDC
Guidance on Providing Pediatric Well Care During COVID-19
This guide from AAP includes a comprehensive set of links to interim guidance and resources for pediatric primary care practitioners on providing well child care, using telehealth in the pediatric practice, and conducting screenings, and COVID-19 specific aspects of practice management.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Interim Guidance on Supporting the Emotional and Behavioral Health Needs of Children, Adolescents, and Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This interim guidance document for pediatric practitioners discusses the emotional and behavioral health impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents and offers suggestions on identification and evaluation of such conditions among other important considerations.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
Teens and COVID: Challenges and Opportunities During the Outbreak
Advice for parents to help teens navigate the socio-emotional impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: American Academy of Pediatrics
COVID-19 Resources for Children with Special Health Care Needs
This webpage from the Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health provides list of resources on COVID-19 for families, caregivers, state agencies, and advocates.
Source: The Lucille Packard Foundation for Children’s Health
3. Stress management and self-care for health care providers
Training Video: Anxiety and COVID-19
Training video (22 minutes) for health care providers on addressing their own COVID-19 anxiety. Presented by Dr. Dana E. Crawford, Director of Trauma-Informed Care, and Dr. Miguelina German, Director of Pediatric Behavioral Health Services, Montefiore Medical Center.
Source: Montefiore Medical Center
Headspace for Health Care Professionals (Free)
Headspace, the mindfulness app, is offering all health care professionals free access to all its content through 2020. Subscriptions can be redeemed by providing NPI and email address.
Source: Headspace
Managing Health Care Workers’ Stress Associated with the COVID-19 Virus Outbreak
Information and resources for health care workers on sources of stress and strategies for dealing with stress related to the COVID-19 outbreak, developed by the National Center for PTSD of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Source: U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD
4. Peer-reviewed research, policy statements, and commentary
Yoshikawa H, Wuermli AJ, Britto PR, Dreyer B, Leckman JF, Lye SJ, Ponguta LA, Richter LM, and Stein A. 2020. Effects of the global coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic on early childhood development: short-and long-term risks and mitigating program and policy actions.The Journal of Pediatrics 223:188-193.
Singh S, Roy D, Sinha K, Parveen S, Sharma G, and Gunjan Joshi G. 2020. Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Psychiatry Research: 113429.
Guessoum SB, Lachal J, Radjack R, Carretier E, Minassian S, Benoit L, and Moro MR. Adolescent psychiatric disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Psychiatry Research: 113264.
See also the extensive resources in UHF's PEDS Learning Network.