Children in the pandemic: Contributions of the National Course on Mental Health and Psychosocial Care in COVID-19

Abstract

Objective Considering the psychosocial repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on children, this case study aims to describe the work process involved in the construction and execution of the Children in the COVID-19 Pandemic module, which comprised the National Course on Mental Health and Psychosocial Care in COVID-19, hosted by the Fundação Oswaldo Cruz. Method Data from the materials that made up the module (booklet, video lesson, forum, and live broadcast), the profile of those enrolled, as well as emerging themes from participants' questions and comments (forum and live broadcast) were analyzed. Results Thirty-one percent of the course participants, who were predominantly female psychologists, completed the module. The booklet, developed with an accessible language, met the general guidelines for the development of manuals aimed at providing guidance on health care, seeking to address emerging demands in order to qualify the care for children in the context of COVID-19. Conclusion There was a great diversity of themes addressed in the material resulting from the forum and the live broadcast, which were discussed in order to contribute to the planning of psychosocial care strategies aimed at mitigating the negative repercussions of the pandemic on child development, as well as to offer a space for sharing knowledge and experiences on professional practice during this major public health emergency.