One has to wonder what the effect this could have on this small child’s mental health.

Did gas masks have any effect on children's mental health?

First, I think the suit is a bit much, but do we know the full background of this child? Maybe he is immunocompromised. Maybe he is going to visit Grandparents they haven't seen in 2 years and they do not want to take any risks and they do not normally wear these suits.

I have two teens. To be honest the #1 thing that affected their mental health was lockdown.

Not mask wearing. Not vaccines. Not washing down groceries. Just lockdown. They will wear whatever they have to in order to not be locked down again.

I am quite sure that previous generations have wondered how worldwide events would affect their kids and grandkids. Spanish Flu, War, Depressions and Recessions.

Humans are adaptable. It is easy for us to look back and feel bad for kids because they aren't having the same experience we did, but this is what their normal is for the last 2 years.

Will this have a lasting effect on them? Yes. Will they adapt and overcome? Yes.

Right now we need to do whatever it takes in order for them to have as "normal" of a life as we can provide them. Even if that means we have to wear suits like those. Gosh I hope it doesn't come to that for any of us.

Ridiculous, overreacting. Do they even know how to take these suits off without contaminating themselves, of course not. Poor child, what must they have thought, when they see everyone in normal clothes, and it’s not a snowsuit, which is bright and fun. Poor child.

Lincslass

Ridiculous, overreacting. Do they even know how to take these suits off without contaminating themselves, of course not. Poor child, what must they have thought, when they see everyone in normal clothes, and it’s not a snowsuit, which is bright and fun. Poor child.

It probably didn't bother the child at all.

Lincslass

Ridiculous, overreacting. Do they even know how to take these suits off without contaminating themselves, of course not. Poor child, what must they have thought, when they see everyone in normal clothes, and it’s not a snowsuit, which is bright and fun. Poor child.

It probably didn't bother the child at all.

The picture was taken at an airport in China in June 2020. I wonder why it's been posted now.

There are some anti-vaxx pseudo scientists around who seem absolutely determined to push their opinion that children aren't affected by Covid and precautions aren't needed.

bylinetimes.com/2021/10/01/inside-the-radicalised-anti-vaxxer-network-influencing-government-vaccine-advisory-panel/

PS. Maybe the people so concerned about children should lobby to have better mitigations in schools.

The effect?

Absolutely fades into insignificance if you compare it to a child sitting in the freezing cold and wet with no proper shelter because our morally bankrupt government will not provide safe passage for that child.

So was the picture China or Melbourne, was it in 2020 or 2021. Very confusing.

As to mental health my GS lives with me, he has covid, is in his bedroom and he's been there for a week, he is being effected quite badly but mask wearing, jabs, schools closing didn't cause much if any issues.

As my DH is mid 70s and disabled we have had to be really strict, he has only been out of his bedroom to use the bathroom, we are using the ensuite.

Probably zero affect. It's a suit of clothing, he's /she's (can't tell) wearing it for a limited time. I do get fed up of all the dramatics about children's mental health seemingly being affected by perfectly reasonable events. Life can be very tough. If their mental health is going to be affected by a suit of clothes, what are the chances of them surviving a real crisis?

growstuff

Did gas masks have any effect on children's mental health?

I think a huge number of people, including children, had their mental health affected by the second world war. My auntie, who was between the ages of 9 and 15 over the six years of war, was so terrified by the terrible bombing that she developed alopecia and all her hair dropped out. It never recovered and she wore a wig for the rest of her life. She died, aged 86, a couple of years ago.

I'm sure the war affected the mental health of many people, both children and adults, but we're talking about a suit of clothes here, not years of unrelenting stress because of war.

I agree Antonia but for another poster to suggest that children were unaffected by six years of war is clearly ridiculous and displays a huge lack of understanding. Equally children have been, and are being, affected by Covid, although not by wearing a suit, in my opinion. The lack of school, social situations, seeing family ill and sometimes dying, the restrictions etc will all have had a massive affect on children’s mental health and development. This is acknowledged by most people now.

The DT’s caption with the photograph said it was taken in Melbourne since the new variant surfaced.

I think they stick out like a sore thumb. Other passengers are watching. They probably think ‘what?’.

I think it’s ridiculous.

Fit would fit in well with the current Victorian regime if it was even true. Which I am sure it isn't.

Whitewavemark2

The effect?

Absolutely fades into insignificance if you compare it to a child sitting in the freezing cold and wet with no proper shelter because our morally bankrupt government will not provide safe passage for that child.

This. 100%. The parent of the child in the suit is protecting him. Regardless of how outlandish he looks, the child will feel cared for by his parent.

There are children in much of the world that either have lost their parents due to war OR with parents that care desperately, but can't protect them.

But let the moral outrage focus on the plastic suit. It's a much easier point to be critical about, rather than our government (and by proxy, our) influence on the children of war/3rd world children.

I don’t think our opinions on this topic stop us from having opinions about other topics.

Urmstongran

The DT’s caption with the photograph said it was taken in Melbourne since the new variant surfaced.

I think they stick out like a sore thumb. Other passengers are watching. They probably think ‘what?’.

I think it’s ridiculous.

Yes but Growstuff said it is from China last year. So who knows?

growstuff

Did gas masks have any effect on children's mental health?

Yes, my late Mother had severe problems due to gas masks during the war.

Anything covering her face, even accidentally like a scarf riding up would make her terribly panicked.