Pandemic stresses are increasing anxiety, depression and overeating in children

Disruptions to daily routines, stress from remote learning, social isolation and anxiety over illness during the pandemic are taking a toll on children’s mental and behavioral health, leading to physical problems such as weight gain from overeating.

Mamilda Robinson, a specialty director and clinical instructor of psychiatric-mental health at Rutgers School of Nursing, and Daniela Moscarella, a pediatric clinical instructor at Rutgers School of Nursing and president-elect for the New Jersey Chapter of National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners, discuss signs that a child needs assistance and how parents can seek clinical help.