Mental health problem in our country is one of the growing problems that we can’t deny. This paper will
discuss and critique the study of Malolos and her co-researcher. The study of Malols et al. (2021) talks
about the mental health and well-being among children during the Covid-19 pandemic. Malolos and her
co-researcher addressed the causes of mental health problem of the children during Covid-19 pandemic.
They emphasized that the children are among the most vulnerable population groups in society, and
despite the fact that a large portion of the Philippine population has been designated as vulnerable,
issues involving them continue to exist and remain unaddressed.
Malolos et al. (2021) said that children have faced numerous threats to their mental health since the
start of the pandemic. It's made worse by a number of interrelated factors that are present in Philippine
society at the same time. While these are experiences shared by all people of all ages, impediments to
emotional and social development are greater in children than in adults. They may also be more
vulnerable to developing mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. The pandemic may
aggravates children's vulnerability to mental health problems, leading to more new cases and inflaming
the existing issue.
The study discussed that the disruption of regular daily routines, as well as the decrease in social
support from school peers, all add to the burden on children's mental health. According to Lee (2020) as
cited in Malolos et al. (2021) the shift to online classes places an additional strain on children's mental
health. Excessive use of technologies also has been linked to developmental delays and sleep schedule
disruptions. In result children are being confined in their homes and children, tends to feel that they are
being restricted.
The study also discussed the militarization of the Philippines during Covid-19 pandemic. The Philippines
has been criticized by the United Nations for taking a very militaristic stance in reaction to the COVID-19
outbreak, in addition to being one of the nations with the longest lockdown and because of this children
felt threatened and in the study of Lieblich and Shinar (2018) cited Malolos et al. (2021) explained that
few research abroad have revealed that kids and teens may have a tendency to see police as punishing
people they should be afraid of.
The study also, includes the effect of typhoons on the mental health of children during Covid-19
pandemic. With each successive typhoon that arrived, children who were already terrified of COVID-19
and earlier tropical storms had to go through the same thing again. Also, there is a higher risk of disease
transmission and gender-based violence for children in crowded evacuation shelters Rocha et al. (2021)
as cited in Malolos et al. (2021).
The study of Malolos et al. (2021) also include how the children abuse and labor exist during the Covid19 pandemic. Due to the significant decline in economic activity and working hours brought on by the
COVID-19 crisis, poverty increased. Exploitative work is fueled by fewer employment opportunities and
lower wages. Further wage suppression encourages kid labor. Children may be purposefully recruited in
order to reduce costs and increase profits. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) states that from
March to May, there was a 260% rise in internet allegations of child abuse in the Philippines. Many
victims experience abuse from their parents initially because they broadcast sexual assault for predators
in affluent Western countries. Due to tight quarantine regulations, this incident led to the loss of a work
and an income as well as additional time spent at home. Children are abused on average for two years
before being rescued.
The study concluded that, the already-challenged state of mental well-being of Filipino children has
been worsened by the pandemic and the lack of good mental health policies by the government. While
there is increasing awareness for mental health, children-centered interventions remain deficient.
Approaches must integrate commonly-known mental health effects on children with existing and
anticipated Philippine societal issues. Without doing so, it may be expected that as the COVID-19
pandemic is mitigated, a mental health epidemic will replace it.
The study includes numerous factors that can cause mental health problem among children during the
Covid-19 pandemic, and they explained it well. The researcher’s uses a simple word which made their
work parsimonious, that is easy to understand by the readers. The study made sure that the readers
could have a strong understanding on the said topic. However, in my opinion the authors must also
include the parent’s involvement of the said problem. It is because parent plays a big role in children life.
In general, the study is excellent reading material. The readers will find the paper to be very interesting
to read. For researchers, it can serve as a solid foundation for upcoming studies.
Malolos, G., Baron, M., Apat, F., Sagsagat, H., Pasco, P., Aportadera, E., Tan, R., Gacutno-Evardone, A. J.,
& Lucero-Prisno Iii, D. E. (2021). Mental health and well-being of children in the Philippine setting during
the COVID-19 pandemic. Health promotion perspectives, 11(3), 267–270.
https://doi.org/10.34172/hpp.2021.34