Mental Health and the COVID-19 Crisis: The Hopes and Concerns for Children as Schools Re-open

Abstract

The COVID-19 crisis has affected everyone, especially elementary school-aged children who might be too young to fully understand the sudden changes in familiar social norms as well as the unprecedented pandemic-induced educational context. This article is based on a case study that explores the perspective of the experiences of ten parents of elementary school children in French Immersion programs from different school boards during the March-June 2020 schools' closure in Alberta. The findings show that parents had a special concern for the mental health of their children during the transition into lockdown and the ramifications of such experiences in the future as students return to school at the start of the academic year under a different climate. This includes adapting to new social norms and a certain apprehension of how school hygiene and safety measures in place will prevent a new coronavirus outbreak in schools.

Keywords: COVID-19 crisis; French; Mental health; Parents; School.