News Coverage of Mental Health in Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic – An Analysis of the German Press Landscape

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic led to fundamental changes in all aspects of public life. Non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs) have had a significant impact on children given their early developmental stage and the smaller number of coping strategies and resources they possess to counter such stressors. Since the discourse on the effectiveness and side effects of interventions plays an important role in legitimising these interventions, the present article seeks to determine both who talks about children’s mental health in the news media and which aspects are addressed. The results of a quantitative discourse analysis of three German daily and weekly newspapers during the first two lockdowns in Germany reveal that political actors speak most often in the discourse, though health professionals are playing an increasingly prominent role. Thematically, mental health among children is becoming significantly more important in the discourse, which will likely lead to future political action.