Impacts of COVID-19 on children and young people who contact Kids Helpline

Report by Susan Nicolson, Susan Newell, and Brian Collyer. Australian Human Rights Commission, Kids Helpline and yourtown.

September 15, 2020.

With the COVID-19 global pandemic, children and young people in Australia are living through unparalleled times. The report examines the types of COVID-19-related concerns that children and young people aged 5 to 25 years raised with Kids Helpline counsellors between January and the end of April 2020. There were 2,567 contacts from children and young people who raised COVID-19 during this time period.

The overall top five concerns related to COVID-19 raised by these children and young people were:

1. Mental health concerns resulting from COVID-19
2. Social isolation
3. Education impacts
4. Impacts on family life
5. Changes to plans and usual activities.

Prioritising the best interests and needs of children and young people in these challenging and extraordinary times is crucial. The health, social, educational, economic, and recreational impacts will be far-reaching for them, well beyond the pandemic’s immediate effects.