Design Challenge
#1: How might we keep our communities in Singapore safe and healthy during the global COVID-19 pandemic?
Project Description
Lockdown and other confinement measures have not only been difficult for adults- children around the world have also been reported to suffer from trauma and anxiety. Children with mental health issues will be even more adversely affected than their counterparts. In Singapore, we partnered with a team of psychiatrists, therapists and educators from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital’s Department of Child Development, on digital content to support young children and their families through these difficult times. This content will also be made available to families with young children of other countries, after its debut in Singapore.
Criteria #1: Value
We understand that trauma and anxiety caused by the lockdown situation can affect children, and even more so for children with existing mental health issues. Solve Education! teamed up with KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) to develop digital content to be distributed on social media to support young children and their families through these difficult times. The content includes:(i) knowing what COVID-19 is, (ii) the importance of personal hygiene, distancing, and wearing face masks, and (iii) how to stay calm, recognize anxiety, and keep anxiety at bay.
Criteria #2: Inspiration
The difficulties that we are facing during the pandemic tends to increase our anxiety and leave trauma, and children with existing mental health issues will be even more affected. On the other hand it is a challenge for parents to seek mental health treatment for their children during the lockdown. This project that we do with KKH aims to increase children awareness of the pandemic, what they can to do to prevent it, and how to reduce their anxiety during the lockdown. We believe that this initiative will enhance or add meaningful value to the their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and help to reduce burdens that their parents are facing.
Criteria #3: Impact
Lockdown and other confinement measures have not only been difficult for the adults, children around the world have been reported to be suffering from trauma and anxiety. Children with mental health issues will be even more adversely affected. This digital content aims to help children understand why they need to stay at home, what they can do to help stop the virus from spreading, and how they can cope with anxiety during the lockdown. With this easy-to-understand digital content, we hope to enhance or add meaningful value to their experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Criteria #4: Timeliness
This project has been started on April 20th and the first episode is expected to be completed by the beginning of May 2020. KKH will share the digital content through their social media to reach as many people as possible, especially parents of kindergarten-aged children. The following episodes will then be released weekly or biweekly, depending on the reception of the first publish.
Criteria #5: Systems Thinking
This digital content will help children who are currently experiencing lockdown and other confinement measures to understand the pandemic and anxiety which may arise as a consequence. This project is an effort to keep children’ mental wellbeing as healthy as their physical health during the government effort to prevent the spread of coronavirus. This could ultimately reduce the burden on parents by lowering the needs to visit psychologists for treatment.
