Impact of online learning and the full return to face-to-face classes on the mental health of pediatric population during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

In March 2020, in an attempt to slow the spread of SARS-CoV-2, several countries closed their schools and switched to online learning. This, together with social distancing, posed a threat to the mental health of children and adolescents attending schools. In this context, access to information technologies was a determining factor for countering social isolation and allowing the continuity of the role of schools in this population. Several studies have reported that the suspension of face-to-face classes and the use of online learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic had positive and negative effects on the mental health of the pediatric population, which were conditioned by individual, family, and socioeconomic factors. On the other hand, the reopening of educational institutions after a prolonged period of social distancing and restrictions on human mobility represented, in terms of development and mental health, both an opportunity and a challenge for children and adolescents and their families. Taking this into account, the objective of this paper is to reflect on the differential impact that the closure of schools and the implementation of online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic had on the development and mental health of school-aged children and adolescents, as well as the potential effects of their return to face-to-face education on these same aspects. We hope that the contents of this reflection will be useful to guide the execution of educational and child mental healthcare actions in future pandemics.