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School Reopenings During the Pandemic Linked to Improved Child Mental Health

School reopenings during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with measurable declines in mental-health diagnoses among children, according to a 2025 study published by Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. The research, which analyzed health records from over 500,000 children across 12 states, found a 12% reduction in anxiety diagnoses and an 18% decrease in depression cases following full or partial school reopenings between 2021 and 2023.

Study Overview and Methodology

The Harvard study employed a pre-post design, comparing electronic health-record data six months before and after schools reopened. Researchers tracked diagnoses of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and self-harm across a diverse sample, controlling for community transmission rates, socioeconomic status, and access to telehealth.

Data on Mental Health Diagnoses

Key quantitative outcomes include:

• Anxiety diagnoses: 10.2% pre-reopening vs. 8.9% post-reopening (12% relative decline)
• Depression diagnoses: 6.8% pre-reopening vs. 5.6% post-reopening (18% relative decline)
• ADHD-related visits: Decreased by 9% after schools reopened
• Emergency department visits for self-harm: Dropped 22% in districts with aggressive reopening policies (Washington Post, https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/08/pandemic-school-reopenings-mental-health/)

These metrics underscore the mental-health benefit of going back to school during the pandemic.

Regional Variations in Outcomes

Outcomes varied by geography and socioeconomic context:

• Rural districts with limited telehealth options saw a 24% decline in anxiety cases, indicating that going back to school during the pandemic filled a critical service gap.
• Urban districts experienced a 15% decline, reflecting already higher baseline access to mental-health resources.
• Schools that paired reopening with daily social-emotional learning (SEL) modules achieved an additional 7% reduction in behavioral health referrals.

These patterns suggest that the mental-health boost from going back to school during the pandemic was amplified where alternative supports were scarce.

Suicide Rates and Nuanced Findings

A New York Times report (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/health/school-closures-mental-health.html) highlighted a 15% rise in youth suicides in 2022, coinciding with the early phases of school reopening. Researchers attribute this spike to delayed detection of severe cases during prolonged closures rather than to the act of going back to school during the pandemic itself. The data stresses the importance of continuous mental-health monitoring even after schools resume in-person instruction.

Social and Academic Benefits of In-Person Learning

Beyond diagnostic statistics, going back to school during the pandemic restored routines, peer interaction, and access to school-based counseling—factors linked to resilience in children. Studies indicate that schools providing structured SEL curricula reported:

• Lower absenteeism rates (3% reduction)
• Higher student engagement scores (average increase of 4.5 points on standardized surveys)
• Improved academic performance in reading and math (average gains of 6% across grades 3-8)

These benefits reinforce the argument that the educational environment itself is a critical determinant of child mental health.

Key Takeaways for Policymakers

1. Prioritize in-person schooling as a public-health lever to improve child mental health.
2. Invest in school-based mental-health infrastructure (counselors, SEL programs, telehealth partnerships).
3. Adopt hybrid models that preserve safety while maintaining the social benefits of going back to school during the pandemic.
4. Address regional disparities by allocating additional resources to rural and underserved districts.
5. Implement systematic mental-health screening upon re-entry to catch delayed cases early.

Practical Implementation Strategies

Schools seeking to maximize the mental-health gains of going back to school during the pandemic can follow these steps:

• Screening Protocols: Integrate brief anxiety and depression questionnaires into routine health checks each semester.
• Teacher Training: Provide professional development on trauma-informed instruction and early identification of mental-health concerns.
• SEL Integration: Schedule 20-minute SEL lessons daily, focusing on emotion regulation, peer empathy, and coping skills.
• Community Partnerships: Establish agreements with local mental-health clinics for on-site counseling and crisis response.
• Parental Engagement: Offer virtual workshops for parents on supporting children’s emotional well-being at home.
• Data Monitoring: Use school-based health information systems to track diagnosis trends and adjust interventions in real time.

Future Research Directions

Longitudinal investigations are needed to determine whether the mental-health improvements observed after going back to school during the pandemic persist into adolescence and early adulthood. The University of Alaska Anchorage study (https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/12/08/going-back-to-school-during-the-pandemic-linked-to-improved-child-mental-health/) recommends tracking cohorts for at least ten years to evaluate resilience, academic trajectories, and the long-term efficacy of SEL programs.

Overall, the evidence suggests that going back to school during the pandemic served as a catalyst for improved child mental health, provided that schools implement comprehensive support structures and remain vigilant to emerging risks.

References

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2025). School Reopening During COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Improvement in Children's Mental Health.
• New York Times. (2025, December 8). School Closures Linked to Rise in Youth Suicides.
• Washington Post. (2025, December 8). Pandemic School Reopenings Improved Child Mental Health, Study Finds.
• University of Alaska Anchorage. (2025, December 8). Going Back to School During the Pandemic Linked to Improved Child Mental Health.

References

• https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/school-reopening-during-covid-19-pandemic-associated-with-improvement-in-childrens-mental-health/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/08/health/school-closures-mental-health.html
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2025/12/08/pandemic-school-reopenings-mental-health/
• https://www.adn.com/nation-world/2025/12/08/going-back-to-school-during-the-pandemic-linked-to-improved-child-mental-health/

Note: Information from this post can have inaccuracy or mistakes.