“Waiting out the day, not living, not fun”: a qualitative investigation of children’s experiences of school closures due to COVID-19

Abstract

Early school leaving (ESL) is considered a significant societal issue globally due to the negative effect on young people’s health, affect, and quality of life. Continued absenteeism is a risk factor for ESL. This study aimed to explore Irish children’s health and wellbeing experiences during school closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These children were all considered at risk of ESL by their schools. Semi-structured interviews, adopting a “write, draw or tell” method, were conducted with ten children ages 9 − 13 years old. The study used an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) methodology. The loss of routine, social ties, and sense of success and belonging experienced in schools had a detrimental impact on the health and wellbeing of the children. They experienced adverse mental health effects, including anxiety, depression, anger, and loneliness. Their physical health and wellbeing were impacted by changes to sleep behavior, physical activity levels, boredom, and gaming usage. Children remain very vulnerable to the impact of school closures, contact restrictions, and living with the pandemic. Recommendations include improving online resources for young people and developing in-school programs to improve sleep hygiene.

Keywords:

• Children
• COVID-19
• Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
• qualitative
• school closures

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the School Completion Programme Coordinator and the head teachers of each of the schools involved in this project. We are extremely grateful to our collaborators: all the young experts who shared their experiences and made this research possible.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

The authors received no financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Notes on contributors

Alexis Carey

Alexis Carey is a Youth Participation Coordinator with Jigsaw: The National Center for Youth Mental Health in Ireland and is undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Health Psychology at Staffordshire University. Her current research interests are student wellbeing, child and adolescent sleep interventions, rights-based approaches and shared decision-making with pediatric patients.

Rachel Povey

Rachel Povey is an Associate Professor in Health Psychology at Staffordshire University. Her current research interests are the development and evaluation of psychological interventions to promote health-related dietary change, and psychological aspects of diabetes (including healthy eating).

Jennifer Taylor

Jennifer Taylor is a Senior Lecturer in Qualitative Psychological at Staffordshire University. Her research interests are in maternal health, mindfulness, and body image.