Creating mental health issues in lockdowns

should have surprised nobody at all. It was always going to be so, especially for people who did not have the resources to entertain themselves.

There is a group of articles in the state newspaper this morning. They concern the mental health of young people who are, it is said, still feeling issues of anxiety from their time in Covid19 lockdowns.  They talk about their feelings of social isolation at the time and the way they felt they had to learn to "re-socialise" and more.

What comes over very clearly to me is what has not been said in those articles. Yes, those articles are making some very important points about very real problems. I would not want to suggest for a moment that what is being said is not a cause for major concern. What I would like to say is that much of it could have been avoided and still needs to occur if we are going to address mental health issues.  

Yes, it was of concern that young people could not get out and mix with their mates and play sport. Exercising at home was always much less likely to happen. Going for a run or a walk was not the same thing for the vast majority of sport addicted young people. (Dare I even suggest it was harder for young males?) They did not have alternatives that allowed them to cope more easily.

The young people I know who coped best with the lockdowns were those who were readers, readers of actual books. They were regular users of the library system. In my immediate vicinity they borrowed books from me as well. We had to work out a system which allowed them to do this without breaking lockdown rules but we did it. Their parents were grateful and the young borrowers still talk to me about the books they read. I hope we are never faced with a similar situation because I have had to dispose of the vast majority of my library. It was a valuable collection but it would not fit in a smaller abode. I needed room for a bed...and the computer.

Many of those same young people had parents who also read books, who did not see books as something less important than sport.  Often their parents were people who played board games with them as well. That helped.

There was also another group of activities that some of these young people took up. They took up crafts like knitting, crochet, sewing, simple weaving, basketry, origami, carving, polymer clay modelling and more. Sometimes they did it with the help of parents who could do these things or were relearning their own long neglected skills. At other times they were searching the internet for information. There was time to do these things during lockdowns. There was no pressure to be at footy practice or ballet class or some other activity.  Sadly most young people did not continue these interests after the lock downs were over. They returned to old habits. 

The good thing though is that a few young people have maintained their interest in the crafts they took up. They are developing their skills. A very few have joined groups of like minded people and discovered a different sort of companionship, something deeper than their sometimes very casual school friendships. Those who have done this are apparently not experiencing the same levels of anxiety. 

There really is a need to research this properly but the evidence would appear to support the idea that reading and creating during that time helped then and helps now. It is concerning then that nothing is said in the articles about these things or about their ongoing importance. There almost seems to be a view that as long as you are back to playing sport and hanging out with your mates in a non-productive way then things are back to normal. 

Sport is important for any number of reasons and we need to socialise but those things are no sufficient in themselves. I would just so like all young people to have the time and desire to read and the time and desire to take up at least one craft they can continue for life. I would just so like them to be able to do it for their mental health.