US EditionPandemic School Closures Linked To More Mental Health Problems Among Kids
Children had a 43% lower risk of mental health diagnoses after earlier school reopenings, with medical and prescription spending also decreasing, Harvard researchers found.
- On Dec. 8, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health researchers reported in Epidemiology that children whose schools reopened sooner faced a 43% lower risk of mental health diagnoses compared with shutdown periods.
- Because schools reopened on a staggered schedule, researchers studied more than 185,700 children from 24 counties and 224 school districts in California between March 2020–June 2021.
- By the ninth month after reopening, medical spending on student mental health fell 11%, psychiatric drug spending dropped 8%, ADHD-specific drug spending fell 5%, and girls saw stronger benefits.
- Researchers recommended policymakers prioritize safe reopenings and mental-health supports, as Dr. Rita Hamad said schools play a crucial role in children’s well-being during health emergencies.
- Overall, diagnoses rose from 2.8% to 3.5% during the study period, and early December 2025 reporting makes these findings timely for policy debates on school closures and child well-being.
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22 Articles
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Pandemic School Closures Linked To More Mental Health Problems Among Kids
Key Takeaways
Children moan about school, yet classrooms improved their mental health
A new study, published yesterday (8th December), found reopening schools during the pandemic reduced mental health diagnoses among children. Led by experts at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public health, the research offers some of the strongest evidence to dat that extended classroom closures had a significant impact on young people’s wellbeing. ‘Our results provide solid evidence to parents, educators and policymakers that in-person school…
Guest Essay: Prioritize children's mental health in school closure decisions
Glaringly missing in the District 65 school closure board deliberations are the actual social and emotional conditions in which this current cohort of K-5 children have grown up and been forced to cope and adapt around. As a licensed clinical psychologist and marriage and family therapist working closely with children and families across the district since 2006, let me be clear: these are not normal times. This cohort of kids are the children of…
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