The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the social and emotional skills of almost half of children, according to a new study by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).

The survey of over 6,000 parents in England with children aged 4–16 found that 47% reported that their child’s social and emotional skills had worsened during the first lockdown.

Undertaken with the UCL Institute of Education in February 2021, the poll also found that just one in six children saw their social and emotional development improve over this period.

Children aged 4 to 7 years were 10 percentage points more likely to have seen their social and emotional development worsen than 12- to 15-year-olds (52% versus 42%).

While the research found no evidence that children in disadvantaged families fared worse, it did find that those whose parents’ pre-COVID employment situation changed were far more likely to see their social and emotional skills worsen.

Andrew McKendrick, research economist at IFS and an author of the report, said: ‘During the COVID-19 pandemic, children from all backgrounds saw their social and emotional skills worsen considerably. Children lived through many changes during these years: school closures, lack of contact with friends and family, and potentially devastating severe illness or death among loved ones.

‘Our research shows that another important driver of children’s declining skills was the economic disruptions experienced by their parents, whether or not those disruptions led to a large income loss. With the cost of living crisis currently hitting many families’ budgets, our findings are a reminder that economic uncertainty can have multi-generational impacts.’