- They suggest that States implement mental health programs for families who lost their relatives due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Information provided by the states on the COVID-19 pandemic is reduced to health issues, there is no discussion of psychological and emotional issues and the effect of human losses on the lives of girls and boys. Juan Martín Pérez - Mexico.
- Children need to say goodbye, say a few words, cry together, write a letter, throw a flower; No matter how small they are, the presence of children in the farewell rituals should not be ignored. Álvaro Pallamares - Chile.
In order to provide guidelines to cope with the death of a family member from COVID-19; The #TejiendoRedesInfancia Initiative, within the framework of the #NiñezFirst strategy, carried out the discussion: How to dialogue in families about the losses caused by the pandemic?
During the development, the experts explained that the COVID-19 pandemic generated various changes in society, mainly at home; For this reason, they stressed the importance of promoting spaces for dialogue to talk about issues that could affect the emotional development of girls and boys; such as the loss or absence of a family member due to the pandemic.
In this regard, Juan Martín Pérez García, Coordinator of the #TejiendoRedesInfancia initiative in Latin America and the Caribbean, pointed out: “The information that we are receiving from the authorities of our countries is reduced to health issues, there is no talk of psychological and emotional issues and particularly human losses; that in the case of girls and boys they require special support ”.
Similarly, Fredy Damián, a specialist in Training and Development in Mexico, pointed out that the loss of a loved one in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic can cause feelings of confusion, sadness or fear in girls and boys, in addition to changes in behavior.
Damián added that in view of this scenario, it is important to implement programs or plans on affective education to help girls and boys who are experiencing a grieving process. "Before giving a broad and far-fetched explanation of what death is, we should ask girls, boys and adolescents what they understand, what they think happens, what they think about death and what they feel."
Conrado Zuliani, Doctor in Psychoanalytic Clinic at the Rosario National University of Argentina, explained that prevention measures to avoid COVID-19 also meant a change in funeral customs, causing the acceptance process for the loss of a person to be more extensive. "We are facing a psychological trauma that hits on a social and individual level, it is essential that there are spaces for the elaboration of grief (...) we have become experts in medicines and health measures, but the psychological question was left aside at this time"
Zuliani also added that abrupt and surprising changes, especially when they are linked to the death of a loved one, can lead to trauma or psychological problems in girls and boys, therefore, according to the expert, it is very important that adults carry out a responsible accompaniment during the grieving process.
For his part, Álvaro Pallamares of the América por la Infancia de Chile, advised mothers and fathers to promote family communication, explain the loss of a relative using clear and understandable language, let the child express your emotions without reprimanding or intimidating you. “Children need to say goodbye, say a few words, cry together, write a letter, throw a flower; No matter how small they are, the presence of children in the farewell rituals should not be ignored ”, concluded.
Currently, due to the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic, several countries adopted prevention measures to avoid contagion, among the main ones are healthy distance, quarantine, prohibition of meetings and restriction of the influx of people at funerals.
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Press contact: Verónica Morales, Regional Communication Officer / [email protected]
About:
#ChildhoodFirst It is a strategy that provides guidance for the care of children and adolescents in emergency situations.
#Weaving NetsChildhood, is a project co-financed by the European Union that seeks to contribute to the strengthening and consolidation of a platform for the defense of children and adolescents in 19 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of Derechos Infancia México AC / #TejiendoRedesInfancia and in no case should it be considered that it reflects the views of the European Union.