Enlarge image
Pupil with mouth and nose protection: »Uncertainty and uncontrollability are generally not good for the human psyche«
Photo: Marijan Murat / picture alliance / dpa
The corona pandemic has made children significantly unhappier.
Mood and life satisfaction have measurably decreased among elementary school students.
And even after schools reopened, well-being has not returned to pre-pandemic levels.
This is shown by a new study by researchers at the TU Dortmund.
In one of the first longitudinal studies on this topic, the psychologist Ricarda Steinmayr and her team compared surveys before and during the corona crisis.
After the first lockdown in May and June 2020, the experts conducted surveys at four primary schools, where they had asked the children three times about their subjective well-being as part of another project before the pandemic - a stroke of luck that made the direct comparison possible in the first place .
more on the subject
German School Barometer: Third place among the biggest teachers' concerns: children with behavioral problems by Silke Fokken
"Since we have been dealing with the factors influencing the subjective well-being of children and young people for a long time, it made sense to take a closer look at the effects of the corona pandemic," says Ricarda Steinmayr.
The children were asked to rate statements such as “I am a happy person” or “Mostly I am happy”.
"Loss of well-being urgently needs to be compensated"
It turned out that during the pandemic, both the positive mood and satisfaction with family life fell - "in all children, regardless of social background or gender," emphasizes Steinmayr.
However, it is about much more than just face-to-face teaching, says co-author Linda Wirthwein: "Social relationships and the experience of competence at school, in a sports club or in other extracurricular facilities are important factors for the subjective well-being of children." therefore suffered particularly from the infection control measures such as the closure of schools or sports clubs.
For psychologist Ricarda Steinmayr it is therefore clear: The Corona catch-up programs for children and young people should not only be about closing the learning gaps caused by the school closures.
“The children's loss of well-being must also be made up for as a matter of urgency.” Current research results show that the lost well-being of young people has not yet been fully restored, despite the relatively normal school operations of the past few months.
It is therefore important to develop clear and comprehensible concepts for the educational institutions with a view to the coming autumn.
"Uncertainty and uncontrollability are generally not good for the human psyche," says Ricarda Steinmayr.
What also helps is a return to routines: "It can be voluntary work or activity in a sports or cultural club."
All in all, however, says the psychologist, schools are faced with a new, additional task – which, however, cannot simply be burdened with the overloaded system.
Steinmayr and her team are therefore currently working on training concepts to promote subjective well-being, as they already exist in other countries.
One thing is clear: Such offers must be coordinated by teachers - and this requires new, additional human resources.
him
