The Impact of Covid-19 on the Social and Emotional Wellbeing among School-Aged Children in Minnesota, USA

Abstract

This research study investigated the impact of Covid-19 on the social and emotional wellbeing of school aged children in Minnesota, USA. The study adopted a descriptive survey research design in which school-aged children completed a questionnaire enquiring about the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on their social and emotional wellbeing during the period. A sample of 400 school-aged children were randomized from a population of 955,000 school-aged children in the Minnesota metropolis. The first stage involved the population being stratified into male and female, public and private schools before a sample of 400 school aged children were randomly selected. Two instruments were utilized: The Social Well-Being Scale (SWBS) and The Emotional Well-Being Scale (EWBS). The result revealed a significant difference (β = .223, t = 3.667, p < .05) leading to the conclusion that there was a significant impact of Covid-19 on emotional wellbeing among school-aged children in Minnesota, USA. Also, there is a significant impact of Covid-19 on social wellbeing among school-aged children in Minnesota, USA (β = .607, t = 12.301, p < .05). Lastly, there was a significant positive relationships between Covid-19 and social wellbeing (r = .607, p < .05), Covid-19 and emotional wellbeing (r = .223, p < .05), and social wellbeing and emotional wellbeing (r = .230, p < .05). The following recommendation was made. School authorities and stakeholders should develop targeted interventions on promoting social connections, providing mental health support, and fostering resilience among children. Governments should implement preventive measures to ensure access to remote learning resources, promote health education and prioritize mental health and wellbeing as integral components of the education system. Keywords: Covid-19- Pandemic, Social Wellbeing, Emotional Wellbeing, School-Aged Children.