Abstract
Widely across the globe, COVID has placed massive strain on various parameters of life, including child protection, health, education and economic systems. Apart from these visible threats, this situation has an ongoing devastating impact on the mental health and psychological well-being of people. The word of the law enforces care and support for children with disadvantages, disabilities and vulnerabilities on caregivers, Managers and Staff, managing Alternative Care programmes, but the spirit of such child protection laws also underlines the importance of caring for caregivers, especially in childcare institutions (CCIs). The well-being of the caregivers is the cornerstone of every well-functioning childcare institution and other residential care spaces. This article is designed to document the mental health status of caregivers (residential staff staying with children), in residential care spaces in the COVID times and to determine how the new stresses impacted them and the coping patterns they acquired in current situation; across different countries of South Asia, including Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. This exploratory rapid assessment project aimed to reach out to the registered childcare homes/ institutions, across the South Asian region, with the help of different NGOs, as well as Government mechanisms. The data was collected through purposive sampling and analysed quantitatively where the sample included the selected caregivers of participating CCIs across these nations. This study aimed to synthesize the responses of caregivers across the region; develop an analysis, which may help authorities to rethink, reform and strengthen the current practices, in order to develop approach-centred strategies for improving the well-being of caregivers as this has a direct bearing on the well-being of children in their care. Since the start of the COVID pandemic, for the residential caregivers, the access to external resources, including physical support from professional staff, has become restricted to bare minimum, due to lockdown and quarantine measures. Any interventions to prevent, treat and mitigate the effects of COVID among caregivers needed to be taken at the ground level by the care team management.
Highlights
The COVID pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to children, families and communities throughout the world
While we hear about these issues every day, this study focuses on the impact of COVID on the mental health of caregivers in childcare institutions (CCIs) of South Asia
The present study titled ‘COVID’s Impact on Mental Health of Caregivers in Child Care Institutions of South Asia’ is a rapid assessment survey, designed to document the mental health status of caregivers in the COVID times in alternative care and to determine how the new stresses lead to different behaviours and coping patterns amongst caregivers in current situation; across different countries of South Asia
Summary
The COVID pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges to children, families and communities throughout the world. Evidence from previous infectious disease outbreaks indicate that existing child protection risks are exacerbated, and new ones emerge, as a result of the epidemic as well as of the socioeconomic impacts of prevention and control measures (UNICEF, 2020, 03 April). Apart from the visible threats to physical health, education, livelihoods and economic health, this situation has an ongoing devastating impact on the mental health and psychological well-being of people. The pandemic has caused medical complications, disorders and increasingly, in severe cases even death, but the shadow effect of the pandemic has been the onslaught of mental health concerns and more importantly, the lack of mental health services for affected individuals One such pillar of the childcare institutions (CCIs) that has been adversely affected, has been the team of caregivers, who are working harder than ever to combat the problems, the novel virus has thrown our way
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