Our Children's Mental Health, Our Nation's Future Wealth (?) 

Compelled to Comment: Catchy phrase, compelling idea, this is...coupling our children's collective well-being with the future riches of a nation. This (the above) was actually an intro to a presentation a few days ago on the current state of the mental health of our youth, in the presence of the year-long pandemic now. While there were many points of great interest to all of us that few would argue with (who doesn't care about the well-being of children after all?), I am here once again to offer some points of view that hopefully provoke both thought and action by those who take the time to read this (thank you again).

The right questions, questions the right way? Articles regarding the toll the restrictions on social interactions outside the intimacy of family, the shutdown of schools, and the pressures of having to teach while managing a household, trying to otherwise maintain a quality relationship with your child, were only a few of the repeating themes that appeared even a month or so into the year of COVID. There is no doubt these and other COVID circumstances have, to some degree, adversely affected our youth. But it's not clear the exact degree nor whether the effects will be transient or long lasting. In other words, it's not WHETHER they are being impacted, but HOW and WHY. It's timely, in my humble opinion, for me to insert myself into this discussion with some points of view that hopefully go beyond the obvious...

Challenging Assumptions, Questioning Perceptions: You have undoubtedly read and heard many pronouncements on the "effects of the lockdown on my child's physical and mental health"..."the decrease in percentage who say they are coping well"..."the possibility of long term effects"..."mental health problems have gotten worse across all age groups"...the number of articles and related opinions are collectively of an epidemic proportion themselves. I'm not here to invalidate the value of the investigations nor question the intent. But I am here to augment your reading of the implied and otherwise explicitly stated conclusions with some other dimensions of critical thinking, to get you and me to think twice (if not thrice) about these initial findings...

Intellectual Rigor, Honesty: The basis for coming to definitive findings is, of course, the scientific method, as well as a balanced debate on important topics, including those affecting our children. Once again, I am not here to challenge the intuitive nature of many of the observations, inferences, and initial conclusions regarding the significant impact the pandemic is having on all age groups; the evidence is right in front of me, in my office, even if  viewed through the lens of my iPhone or computer via telehealth these days. On the other hand, before we 'act' on these findings (e.g. pass a bunch of expensive legislation to counter the effects), it is instructive to look beyond the obvious, beneath the surface...

Qualified Officials, Qualified Findings (?): Many of the articles I have reviewed have been based on interviews with various professionals and officials, usually with quick acceptance of their claims of "significant impact..." Who would want to argue otherwise, appearing insensitive to the plight of our children? One example of a counter-intuitive finding early in the pandemic, was that children and their parents (including siblings), while 'forced' to interact more, were actually enjoying time together than many talking heads predicted (e.g. "forced quarantine will result in..."). More recently, there have been references to unexpected favorable side effects ('diamonds in the rough') of being at home more (ranging from better outdoor air quality for children with respiratory conditions, to being able to self pace learning for various students). Admittedly, these are all based on single or small group experiences, and with no sustained follow-up.  Early in my career, when I was first called on as an "expert witness", I was thankful for my two main mentors, who first desensitized me to the attacks on my professional credentials that one or the other attorney would utilize before I even presented my findings or professional opinion ("don't take it personally", they encouraged). I was even more appreciative of the rigor with which they played devil's advocate regarding my conclusions in any particular case, eventuating in me qualifying my findings--Court, a great litmus test, short of a refereed scientific journal. In short, I find the basis for the conclusions and sweeping statements these 'experts' are making often suffer from the following weaknesses: they are often impressionistic, based on surveys with a small number of respondents (we have seen the perils of prediction from even a large group in our recent elections), broad generalizations, oversimplifications which collapse a number of individual and family variables that are challenging to untangle, short sighted (just how long do they intend on following these children and families, seldom done for sustained periods in such research due to time and money), among others I don't have space for here. The main point I hope you will carry away is to think and ask the challenging questions when you hear such compelling assertions that, taken on surface value, are for the good of our children. Most of them are, but...

Speaking of Wealth: The other compelling part of the equation. The articles and interviews which prompt us to think about how the nation's financial stability is inextricably linked to the psychological well-being of our children, so they will be able to be productive, tax paying adults (especially in light of the 'tipping pyramid' and it's implications for the viability of the social security system). But, once again, are we asking the right question(s)? For if we really cared about the long term welfare of our children, grandchildren, and...requires us to be completely honest and accountable, both as government officials and experts making such sweeping, simplistic claims. That is, if you once again look beyond the obvious arguments that are ostensibly on behalf of our dependent children, we would have to think hard and long about the debt that we are passing on to them as a a nation--current projections (many of which admittedly are 'qualified' by many variables at play) indicate that schools of the future will have to invent some new numbers for the youth of tomorrow (e.g. even beyond gazillions'!), along with new rules for the game "kick the can" (down the road). But who really wants to talk about this, especially when so many people we know are experiencing economic hardship...it would once again appear insensitive, at least on the surface. In the meantime...

It's on US! As adults, to think and act in such a way that can provide our children a healthy environment under the current pandemic circumstances, that currently have no specific endpoint on the calendar. A degree of normalcy. Many of the foregoing articles and interviews, for example, do acknowledge, sometimes in a whisper, the definite link between how the respective children are faring and that of their parents. That is, based in part on how the parents are modeling and coping manifestly themselves. Some years ago, when I was interviewed by a radio host regarding what to tell children following a local tragedy (which at the time included a child accidentally shooting another after a pistol had recklessly been left in the home by an irresponsible adult), he concluded, "so you mean we should try to provide the illusion of invulnerability to allow our children to function normally?" Yes, basically, Frank (along with not having the radio blaring the news 24/7). That is, one of the primary functions of us adults, especially under these COVID circumstances, is not to deny the reality but to provide our children extra insulation--insulation that sometimes comes in the form of constructing illusions--illusions and even deception that is in their service. A dramatic example includes "Life is Beautiful", a 1997 film depicting how a "...Jewish book keeper and his family fall victims to the Holocaust and end up in a concentration camp, where he uses a perfect mixture of will, humor, and imagination to protect his son from the horrors of the camp...by constructing an illusion that they are in the midst of a grand game, the grand prize of which is a tank...". I recommend this film to you, but probably not to your youngsters. While our current circumstances might not call for such extreme measures, when all this is over, we will have to ask ourselves, even if our children don't, if we did our best. While we continue to hear and entertain dire predictions, we can and will influence longer term outcomes on behalf of our children and the youth of tomorrow. It is, after all. largely up to US.