Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1248303
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 MAY 2020 NEWS NEWS safeguarded when flying on an airplane. "Passenger confidence is key and until that is regained, it is not the economics alone which will resuscitate pas- senger demand. The loads on some routes to be operated by full-service carriers in the com- ing week - with super-sized aircraft and with plenty of pre- mium cabin space the type of which we operate in the Gulf, as opposed to a crammed A320 of a low cost airline operating in Europe - will help us gauge this confidence," he remarked. Social distancing will make airport experience a bigger headache As to the changes which can be experienced in airports, Aq- uilina Spagnol said automated process might help facilitate some social distancing meas- ures. "In the industry we are ex- pecting airports – in con- junction with airlines – to accelerate their transition to automatic and paperless pro- cessing throughout all the stages of the airport experi- ence. Check-in, immigration, and gate processing will all be automated without the need to handle documents (or at least minimal documentation) and interacting with airport staff," he said. "With the exception of the se- curity check, this is almost fea- sible with technology already available to date. Large interna- tional airports have been work- ing on these lines, and such ef- forts will only be accelerated to be put in place within the next one to two years. Before COV- ID, Dubai International Airport was working to increase the air- port capacity by 30 million pas- sengers annually through auto- mation alone." It will however take some time until such technological ad- vances are widely available, and, until then – or before a vaccine is found – the usual airport pro- cesses might become a bigger headache for most passengers. "Until a vaccine is available, and all these hi-tech improve- ments are in place, no doubt air- port processing will be lengthier and more cumbersome for most of us, with social distancing and mandatory sanitising at various points, together with severe re- strictions of food and shopping options," he said. mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt LAURA CALLEJA PARENTS and children are facing major life disruptions as COV- ID-19 upends life with school closures, physical distancing and the myriad other changes to life's routine. But the mental health effects are a little bit more elusive when rou- tines, a fundamental part of human nature bookended by simple impositions like regular waking-up and sleeping times, are turned upside-down. "The problem arises when the routines, which we set up for ourselves, are not healthy, for example staying up at night while sleeping during daytime," a spokesperson for the Malta Association for Child and Ad- olescent Mental Health (ACA- MH) told MaltaToday. "The current situation has brought on us a sudden change; no one was prepared for it and our previous lifestyle was very different from the one we had to adopt recently. This has cre- ated a period of adjustment for all of us," they added. ACAMH has warned that the more children and youths have now lost the structure that school and extra-curricular activities provided. "As expected, they have re- acted differently to this situation, with some feeling relieved that they have more free time and less academic pressure." Age is an important factor to consider. Younger children usually have more unstructured time to play and learn by experimentation. For this reason, they might miss their friends and teachers, however still enjoy spending time with their parents. On the other hand, teens are likely to have days filled with activities including academic, social and recreational past-times, which during this period may not be replaced in a way that fully accommodates their needs. "For example, social needs may be acquired through digital means, but some might still feel isolated and lonely. Sporting activities, which could have been used as a strategy to regulate emotions, may be limited now," the ACAMH said. A WHO study on adolescent behaviour during the pandemic found that most were experiencing positive and supportive social relation- ships and good overall health and well-being, while eating habits had improved and substance abuse was on the decline. However, the rapid increase of social media had led to problemat- ic usage among some adolescents, affecting their relationship with friends and family. And physical activity levels remain worryingly low, with increasing numbers of youth reporting issues that affected their mental health, including feeling low and difficulties with sleep. ACAMH said it was important to take up activities that could be done in the home, such as a new hobby, decluttering, cooking ac- tivities, and reaching out to neighbours and nurturing neglected re- lationships. "Families who are less privileged and already struggling before COVID-19 may find the necessary adjustments all the more challenging. For example, there is currently a strong reliance on technology to access services, like schools, social services and mental health professionals." Children and young people may need a private space at home dur- ing online learning sessions – which may not be possible for low-in- come families, putting them at a disadvantage and exacerbating their struggles. "Children and young people's mental health cannot be separated from that of the rest of the household. If a parent is struggling to ad- just or for example, has been made redundant, the other members of the family are bound to be negatively impacted. This possibly is exac- erbated when we are all spending most of our time at home, close to the rest of the family. Tense and conflictual relationships may start to take a toll on everyone," the association said. The toll on children with conditions Kids with certain conditions like autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and attention deficit hy- peractivity disorders (ADHD) may find this sudden shift in lifestyle harder than others. "People with ASD generally find change very difficult, even mi- nor disruptions to their routine may create intense emotions of anxiety, fear, and confusion. Many thrive in highly struc- tured and predictable environ- ments. In the current unprece- dented events, receiving definite answers to their questions is highly unlikely," ACAMH said. The risk that they may develop novel interests and obsessions related to COVID-19 – statistics on positive cases and deaths – could heighten fear and anxiety, mak- ing it harder for them to resume their previous lifestyle when the lockdown is over. "Children and young people with ADHD have possibly experienced increased difficulty to maintain focus. Usual coping strategies may be limited or impossible, for example doing tasks in quiet environments because of siblings being around them. They may also become easily bored inside and require more efforts from parents to keep them entertained." Letting go of expectations ACAMH says parents have to acknowledge the difficult situation and permit themselves to adapt their parenting expectations. "Families are trying to cope in the best way they can, with the re- sources that they have. Letting go of some expectations may be a wise decision at this point in time. Rather than focusing on strict rules, attention can be redirected to nurturing relationships, by do- ing things together and enjoying spending time with each other." Many parents may also be working from home and need their pri- vate time and space to focus – this means that children need to be encouraged to occupy themselves safely. "Fortunately, there are many ideas online to help children keep occupied in a fun way, such as arts and crafts projects, online storytelling activities and physical activity videos." ACAMH also encourages families to get some natural light, in or- der to not go stir-crazy. "For children and young people, as well as adults, getting some natural light is important for general physical and mental wellbeing. Spending too much time in unnaturally lit en- vironments can hurt our mental health, including disruptions in the waking/sleeping pattern. Therefore, now is the time to make use of all the spaces that we have available in our homes that receive natural light." The association said that evidence showed exercise improved physical and mental health, suggesting that families go out for a run around the block or a walk in the countryside as long as social dis- tancing is strictly adhered too according to public health recommen- dations. For youths, COVID brings mental health challenges