While most parents are concerned about their children falling behind in their education, the larger more lasting impact of COVID-19 may be on the mental health of children as they are secluded from their peers, seeing their parents struggle with unemployment and financial instability, and potentially experience death and loss due to the pandemic. Students are facing ever-growing levels of depression and anxiety as the crisis continues to turn normalcy on its head.

As part of HMC’s ongoing research effort to better understand the longterm effects of COVID-19 and develop solutions for a safe return to PreK-12 schools, we consulted with clients from various school districts and county offices of education, conducted surveys with parents, and did a deep dive literature review on building design and infectious disease transmission/prevention.

HMC is committed to sharing our findings with the industry in a series of white papers that focus on five main areas of Technology, Adaptability and Flexibility, Regulatory/Budgetary/Institutional Impacts, Space Needs/Reduction and Restructuring, and Impact to Wellness/Mental Health. In this paper, we discuss the Impact to Wellness/Mental Health in the PreK-12 sector.