Coronavirus and Family Mental Health
Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty about coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are affecting us all, along with major disruptions to life as we know it.
To help stop the pandemic, we can all do our part by staying at home if we’re able, and physically distancing ourselves from others if we must leave home. To help manage our emotional well-being, and that of our children, teens, and young adults, we must do our best to take this one day at a time. View the resources below for guidance.
MGH and Clay Center Resources
- GUIDE TO MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR COVID-19 (MGH Psychiatry Department)
- 7 Ways to Support Kids and Teens Through the Coronavirus Pandemic (MGH Clay Center)
- How to Help Kids Cope With Situational Anxiety (MGH Clay Center)
- Pandemic 2020: Our Stuck at Home Guide to Food, Fun, and Conversation (The Family Dinner Project)
- Chinese – 疫情2020：宅在家的食物、娱乐、沟通指引
- How to Talk to Your Child About the Coronavirus (MassGeneral Hospital for Children)
- Parenting Through Community Crises & Disasters – Handbook and Video (MGH PACT)
- Self-Care for Resilience – Resources for the Whole Family (MGH Clay Center)
News Media Resources
- How Will Loneliness From the Coronavirus Isolation Affect Children? (Slate)
- How to Talk to Children About the Coronavirus Pandemic (Boston 25 News)
- Talking to Kids About Coronavirus (WBUR Radio Boston)
- Working from home with kids feels unsustainable. Heres’s how to ease the burden. (Vox)
Trusted Partner Resources
- Taking Care of Your Mental Health in the Face of Uncertainty (American Foundation for Suicide Prevention)
- Talking to Children About COVID-19 (Coronavirus): A Parent Resource (Nat’l Association of School Psychologists)
Take a Mental Health Break!
This is important for any time, but especially now. Try to take at least one mental health break, every day. Even 10 minutes can make a difference.
- MGH Be Fit Meditations (Wellness at MGH) – Engage your senses, belly breathe, or relax, ground and clear. A series of 17 free mediations great for teens, young adults, and adults.
- Free Audio Stories for Children and Teens (Audible) – Stories help. They Entertain. They teach. They keep young minds active, engaged, and alert.
- Illuminated Collage Home Activity (MGH Clay Center) – This interactive art activity helps you open family conversations about mental health, while creating a beautiful window collage to brighten your room.
- Cosmic Kids Yoga YouTube Channel – Yoga, mindfulness and relaxation designed especially for kids aged 3+, used in schools and homes all over the world.
- Yoga With Adriene YouTube Channel – All levels, all bodies, all genders, all souls! Perfect for adults, young adults, and teens.
Share Your Story
How is your family finding the silver lining of the challenges you face? Please share your story – we’d love to share it with others to help keep the hope going!
