The value of using a storybook to protect the psychological health of children during COVID-19 in resource-limited communities

Abstract

Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic has caused poor mental health, parental loss and food insecurity in children. At the peak of the pandemic, context-relevant and child-friendly COVID-19 tools for child counselling and education were limited in low-income communities. Researchers and social work practitioners created Uhambo Lwami storybook in IsiZulu language to initiate conversations with children about COVID-19. The findings reported are drawn from in-depth interviews with 13 purposively selected community-based social workers and child and youth workers who integrated the storybook into child counselling during the pandemic. The central premise of the paper is their experiences about the use and value of the storybook to support children’s psychological well-being during the pandemic. Two themes are discussed: The use of the storybook with children and its value to support children during the pandemic. The results indicated that the storybook created a child-friendly environment for children to share their psychosocial experiences of living during the pandemic. Furthermore, it facilitated sharing of experiences about death and illness in a caring and responsive manner. Well-designed storybooks are a cost-effective tool useful to initiate sensitive discussions with children. Context-relevant storybooks can be used to educate and alleviate distress in children during pandemics.