Introduction
The subject article for this critical writing is the Mail Online’s Article titled “One-in-Nine British Children are Disabled, Official Figures Reveal: Diagnoses of Mental Health and Behavioural Conditions Have Surged since COVID” Kate Pickles authored and edited this article and published it on January 29, 2024. Kate is a health correspondent for the same newspaper, but her expertise is in Leadership, Public Speaking, Social Media, and Strategic Planning.
Primarily, the article aims to demonstrate the gravity of mental health disabilities among children during and in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the data presented, the pandemic aggravated disability among children, as witnessed through increased numbers of diagnoses and more expensive spending on this healthcare need (Pickles, 2024). The author deploys statistical reporting and first-hand perspectives, fulfilling the article’s objective. Although the statistics are valid, the argument is open to interpretation in support of the view that a significant gap exists in developmental disorders among children.
Context
The primary claim that this critique dissects is that the pandemic caused a surge in disabilities among children. This line of argument is the center of the article as it is discussed throughout. It is pivotal to explore the validity of this claim, as statistics support it.
Additionally, it is essential to explore how the pandemic affected children’s overall well-being, thereby exacerbating developmental disorders (Hyman et al., 2020). This is an ideal case to explore because developmental delay is a prevalent issue worldwide. Children need a healthy environment to achieve developmental milestones and achieve all-around social and academic performance that lays the foundation for adulthood.
Another profound claim developed throughout the article is that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified pre-existing mental health struggles for children. As is, mental health has increasingly become a menace for children, teenagers, and adults globally. The World Health Organization reports that healthcare systems overlook children’s mental health, as children are perceived not to experience psychological difficulties (Kohnert et al., 2020).
Statistically, the WHO reported in 2023 that 10% of children experience anxiety, depression, and severe mental disorders such as epilepsy that affect their overall health(Kohnert et al., 2020). The article lightly highlights that the pandemic intensified mental issues, possibly due to long periods of isolation (Hadfield, 2022). It further concurs with the WHO statistics that there is a need to address mental health in children to ensure optimum psychological development.
Both claims are indicative of the main argument that diagnoses of mental and behavioral health have surged since 2020. This is a pertinent concern because children form the future population. It is equivalent to ensuring they receive the best health and living conditions to meet the needs of the future population (Barlow, 2021).
Exploring and expounding the claims delves into theories that examine triggers of developmental disorders among children (Jiao et al., 2020). This will help curate coping mechanisms and interventions that foster good health. On a larger scale, understanding children’s health directly affects healthcare expenditures in the US. By preventing disease causes and mitigating risk factors, healthcare stakeholders can control soaring expenditures(Jankovic et al., 2021). The article follows a formal structure, presenting factual statistics with minimal discussion. The limitations in the information presented impede the reader from developing a balanced argument to reach their conclusion.
Critical Evaluation and Supporting Evidence
At the heart of the main argument is the assumption that, generally, disability has dramatically increased among children. This is a significant assumption that the author justifies with more diagnoses and the impact of the lockdown measures during the pandemic. On the contrary, the author should have factored in awareness of developmental disabilities and delays. In the past years, social perceptions of developmental disabilities have limited access to and the willingness to seek healthcare. In contrast, in recent years, parents have become more receptive to exceptional healthcare (Dulcan, 2021).
Another emerging assumption is that the pandemic was a predisposing factor to developmental disability. While this is true, it is also accurate to state that the pandemic only exposed already existing risk factors, such as debilitating mental health due to over-consumption of social media (Case et al., 2020). In light of this, the article develops the argument that more children suffer from developmental disorders and disabilities fueled by the pandemic.
Kate Pickles’ (2024) article discussed above is anchored on statistical data from previous studies and registries on children’s developmental health. Reading through it only gives a glimpse of the state of affairs at the time of its publishing. For example, the author states that “11 percent of children reported a life-limiting condition lasting more than a year” (Pickles, 2024, para. 4). The statistic is clear in this statement. Yet, there is no additional information on the nature or actual limiting condition in question (Pickles, 2024).
In a separate statement, the author cites Sam Ray-Chudhuri’s view that “measures such as lockdown are likely to have intensified the previous trend of deteriorating youth mental health” (Pickles, 2024, para.10). With this reporting, the article does not tie the information to underpinning theories about causes and triggers of developmental challenges among children.
To this end, the article lacks integration of underpinning theories as explored in other journal articles. For instance, the article states that the pandemic created conditions that spiked mental health difficulties. This concurs with Turk et al. (2020), which affirms that the pandemic increased Intellectual and developmental disability among children and adolescents.
Kate Pickles’ (2024) article, as well, does not link the conditions to known causes of developmental delays and mental health disorders. Mental disorders and developmental disorders are caused by a wide range of factors, including genetic factors, exposure to toxic substances during pregnancy, malnutrition, chromosomal abnormalities, and metabolic dysfunctions (Totsika et al., 2023). In the case of COVID-19, the author could make a more compelling argument by linking lockdown with inactivity, poor metabolic processes, and poor neurological development, thus causing behavioral and mental disorders.
The article does not sufficiently engage critical works from other disciplines to create a holistic argument about the surge in developmental disorders post-pandemic. The author cites data and statistics on the rise in diagnosed cases. The first statistic is that “1.6 million children are classed as disabled, up more than a third since Covid” (Pickles, 2024, para. 2).
The article also includes viewpoints from researchers and a psychologist. To this end, there is no seamless compounding of knowledge from central disciplines. One would seek to understand what expert pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics perceive about the changing social conditions. The article fails to tap into the input of healthcare researchers, psychological bodies, nutritionists, and even case studies that narrow down the immediate causes of behavioral and mental disorders among children.
Strengths
A key strength noted in the article is its bold title, which clearly articulates the main argument. The primary standpoint draws attention to the fact that disabilities in children spiraled during and after the Pandemic (Zablotsky et al., 2019). The author defends the argument by citing numerous comparative statistics that demonstrate the spike over the years. Even though the author has yet to gain expertise in health concerns, she inadvertently draws on data without making inaccurate interpretations. Another strength is the use of direct reported speech from experts in children’s development. This lends the article credibility by showing that the author sought input from experienced people rather than delivering her independent opinion.
Weaknesses
The article has notable weaknesses that affect the understanding of children’s developmental challenges. For one, the article is not sufficiently comprehensive in addressing the matter. A wholesome approach would be to introduce the topic by giving children an overview of developmental stages.
The statistics assert the magnitude of the concern, but do not provide context for why this is a healthcare emergency. Expert opinion from Sapiets et al. (2021), for instance, suggests that children’s mental health is pertinent due to the rise in suicide cases. The article does not explore downstream effects such as school attendance, social anxiety, drug abuse, and unruly behavior, as would be stated in other studies.
Additionally, the article lacks coherence, which undermines its ability to convey the message effectively. The author begins by citing statistics about children’s disability pre- and post-pandemic. It digs deeper into mental health and elaborates on supposed reasons for the high number of diagnosed cases. This is followed by concerns about healthcare expenditure, where the article states that “child disability payments have risen to 3 billion pounds” (Pickles, 2024, para. 7). This information must be included here, as it does not connect the disconcerting expenditure with actual and expected outcomes. This presentation makes the article inadequate for driving key issues and for outlining possible measures to combat healthcare expenditure while providing children with much-needed services.
Another weakness of reading through the article is that it will act on the information it presents. The first article aims to enlighten the public about the rise in disabilities. Along with the information, the article cites pertinent topics such as healthcare expenditure, access to mental health services, growing awareness about children’s mental health, and willingness to take tests for early intervention (Singh et al., 2020). In the same vein, the article fails to propose solutions for parents, educators, and children to improve mental health (Ma et al., 2021).
The article could recommend earlier interventions to increase the chances of permanent treatment of mental health disorders. It could have called upon parents to carefully watch the habits of their children to protect them from plunging into suicidal thoughts (Hume et al., 2021). The article could be even more impactful if healthcare policymakers took practical steps to ensure affected children receive healthcare services.
In a nutshell, Kate Pickles’ (2024) article on the rise in children’s disabilities during the pandemic exemplifies measures to improve public health outcomes. According to this article, mental and behavioral disabilities continue to debilitate the health of children in America. The article contends that the pandemic caused loneliness and isolation that impacted the mental health of children.
Amid these arguments, the article presents statistical data that shows a higher number of positively diagnosed cases. It further justifies the rise in diagnosed cases with increased awareness, willingness to seek help, and the growing attention towards mental health. On the flip side, the article does not integrate underlying developmental theories to explain the trends indicated by the statistics.
References
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