Pamela Cantor M.D. on Expert Panel for CRPE Report on Student Well-Being During Pandemic

Turnaround for Children Founder and Senior Science Advisor, Pamela Cantor M.D., served as a member of a panel of experts for the newest report from the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), “How Has the Pandemic Affected Students’ Social-Emotional Well-Being? A Review of the Evidence to Date.”

CRPE gathered a panel of experts in child development, adolescent mental-health, and social-emotional learning to examine the current research on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the social and emotional well-being of students. They summarized key findings, identified information still missing from the body of research and outlined an agenda for researchers to prioritize going forward.

The panel found that a significant portion of students experienced negative impacts on their mental health during the pandemic – especially those who learned remotely for long periods of time and who belong to historically marginalized groups – which became worse as time progressed. The experts noted the increase in attempted suicides in adolescents and how schools and districts, especially in rural areas, lacked the systems and strategies needed to track and improve student well-being.

The report identified 4 key areas for researchers to prioritize to aid in recovery: developing a more complex understanding of the differences in student experiences, identifying innovations to dramatically improve the social, emotional and mental health needs of students, investigating ways to leverage community assets and acknowledge the role of race in communities and student experiences, and reimagining measurement. Experts also offered specific ideas for recovery efforts in each area

Read the full report here.