*Arrested Development After Lockdown?
Understanding When Children’s Emotional Growth Gets Stuck*

The term arrested development is not a formal DSM-5 diagnosis, but in clinical psychology it is a useful way of describing points where a child or adolescent’s emotional, social, or behavioural growth appears to stall. Rather than progressing through expected developmental tasks – building friendships, tolerating frustration, learning to manage emotions – the young person seems “stuck” at an earlier stage, or regresses under pressure.

For many families, the COVID-19 lockdowns created precisely the kind of conditions that can lead to this sort of developmental arrest: prolonged disruption, loss of routine, reduced social contact, increased anxiety at home, and long periods of learning and relating through screens. Although not every child has been adversely affected, there is now a growing body of research suggesting that some groups of children are carrying a delayed emotional and developmental burden that may unfold over years rather than months.

What do we mean by “arrested development”?

In everyday language, arrested development refers to growth that has paused or been derailed. Clinically, we might see this as:

• Emotional responses that are markedly younger than a child’s chronological age

• Difficulty with age-appropriate independence (for example, separating from caregivers, managing school demands, or regulating strong emotions)

• Persistent reliance on primitive coping strategies such as avoidance, tantrums, or shutting down

The DSM-5 does not use the phrase arrested development, but it does describe patterns that may overlap with it – for example, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, anxiety and depressive disorders, and a range of neurodevelopmental conditions where emotional and social maturation can be affected. Therapists are often less concerned with labelling a child and more focused on understanding why development has stalled, and what environment is needed to restart growth.

What do we know about lockdown and children’s development?

Evidence emerging since the pandemic suggests that, on average, children and young people experienced a worsening of mental health during periods of lockdown, with increased symptoms of anxiety and depression compared with pre-pandemic levels. UK and international reviews have highlighted that these effects were not evenly distributed: young people with pre-existing vulnerabilities, those in socially disadvantaged families, and those with special educational needs or neurodevelopmental conditions were at higher risk of distress.

For younger children, the impact appears to have been particularly marked in the domains that depend most on rich, face-to-face interaction. Several recent studies and reviews suggest that babies and toddlers born or raised during the pandemic show delays in language development and aspects of social communication, likely linked to reduced peer interaction, fewer opportunities for play, and increased screen time.

Early-years practitioners across the UK report rising numbers of children starting nursery or school with limited speech, reduced turn-taking in conversation, and weaker attention and self-regulation. While these trends were emerging before the pandemic, COVID-19 appears to have intensified existing inequalities and pushed some children further off their expected developmental trajectory.

How might “developmental arrest” show up after lockdown?

In practice, parents and teachers might notice:

• Emotional immaturity – older children reacting with intense outbursts, clinginess, or shutdown when faced with routine demands.

• Social anxiety or withdrawal – reluctance to attend school, avoidance of peers, or difficulty reading social cues after long periods of isolation.

• Reduced frustration tolerance – low capacity to cope with boredom, limits, or delayed gratification, sometimes linked to heavy reliance on digital stimulation.

• Language and communication gaps – difficulties expressing needs, following classroom instructions, or holding back-and-forth conversations.

• Academic and attention difficulties – reduced concentration, organisational problems and incomplete foundational skills after disrupted schooling.

None of these signs automatically indicate a disorder, but they can signal that a child’s developmental “scaffolding” has been shaken. For some, this may settle naturally as they regain routine and social contact; for others, the patterns persist and solidify.

How does this relate to DSM-5 diagnoses?

From a diagnostic standpoint, the pandemic did not create new categories of disorder, but it did alter the context in which existing vulnerabilities are expressed. For example:

Children with a predisposition to anxiety disorders may have experienced prolonged exposure to health-related fear, uncertainty, and parental stress.

Young people with traits associated with depressive disorders may have been more exposed to isolation, loss of valued activities, and disrupted sleep–wake cycles. Those with neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD or autism spectrum disorder often struggled with sudden changes in routine, inconsistent educational provision, and increased sensory or social demands on returning to school.

Clinically, we are seeing children whose functioning meets DSM-5 criteria for these conditions, but whose trajectories and triggers are clearly shaped by the exceptional circumstances of the pandemic years. In other words, lockdown may not be the root cause, but it has been a powerful environmental stressor interacting with existing risks.

What should parents and carers be watching for?

It is important not to pathologise every wobble or delay; many children are resilient and will recalibrate over time. However, certain patterns are worth taking seriously, particularly if they are persistent, worsening, or interfering with daily life. These include:

• Ongoing distress about school or social situations that does not ease with gentle support

• Frequent emotional explosions or shutdowns that feel “younger” than the child’s age

• Marked delays or losses in language, communication, or basic self-care skills

• Strong avoidance of peers, activities, or situations that were previously enjoyed

• Sustained low mood, hopeless comments, or loss of interest in most things

If several of these are present for more than a few months, it may be an indication that a child’s emotional development has stalled and would benefit from professional assessment.

How can development get “unstuck”?

Psychological support for post-lockdown developmental arrest is rarely about rushing a child forward. Instead, it focuses on rebuilding the foundations that allow growth to resume safely.

Therapeutically, this often involves:

Strengthening the attachment base – helping caregivers provide consistent emotional availability, clear boundaries, and predictable routines so that the child feels safe enough to experiment and separate again.

Re-establishing play and peer contact – gently supporting children to tolerate social anxiety, re-enter group settings, and relearn the give-and-take of relationships.

Targeted work on emotional literacy and regulation – teaching children to recognise, name, and manage feelings using age-appropriate strategies drawn from cognitive-behavioural and developmental approaches.

Addressing language or learning needs – collaborating with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, and schools where communication or cognitive delays are present.

Supporting parents – many caregivers are themselves exhausted or anxious after the pandemic; helping them to manage their own stress is often the most powerful intervention for their children.

Where a child meets DSM-5 criteria for a specific disorder, such as an anxiety disorder, depression, or ADHD, evidence-based treatments for that condition (for example CBT, parent training, or combined approaches) are integrated into this broader developmental framework.

Looking ahead: possible longer-term consequences

Longitudinal research is still emerging, but early data suggest that the legacy of lockdown for some children may include higher rates of internalising difficulties (anxiety, low mood), sleep disturbance, and social–emotional challenges, even as restrictions have eased.

There are also concerns that early language and communication delays, if unaddressed, could widen educational and social inequalities over time. However, it is equally clear that outcomes are not predetermined. Protective factors – such as stable relationships, supportive schools, access to specialist help, and environments that allow children to play, explore, and reconnect – can mitigate much of the risk. The key is early recognition and timely support, rather than assuming children will simply “bounce back” without attention.

When to seek professional help

Parents and carers may find it appropriate to consult a psychologist if they notice that:

• Their child’s behaviour or emotions seem stuck at an earlier stage and are not moving on

• School staff are expressing sustained concern about attention, learning, or peer relationships

• Family life is becoming dominated by managing one child’s distress or volatility

• There is a history of trauma, neurodevelopmental conditions, or mental health difficulties in the family, and lockdown appears to have amplified these challenges.

A comprehensive psychological assessment can help distinguish between temporary adjustment difficulties and more entrenched developmental patterns, and can guide a tailored plan that may include individual therapy, family work, school liaison, and, where appropriate, referral to other specialists.

The pandemic years represented a profound interruption to the normal rhythms of childhood and adolescence. For some young people, that interruption has translated into pockets of arrested development – not as a permanent label, but as a description of where growth has stalled and where it now needs careful attention.

📚 Reference List

Alcon, S., Shen, S., Wong, H.-n., Rovnaghi, C. R., Truong, L., Vedelli, J. K. H., & Anand, K. J. S. (2024). Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Early Childhood Development and Mental Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Comparative Studies. Psychology International, 6(4), 986-1012.
MDPI

De Caro, E. F. et al. (2025). Child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: emerging concerns and the need for mental health services. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
ScienceDirect

Kumar, N., et al. (2021). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents: A cross-sectional study.
PMC

Singh, S., Roy, D., Sinha, K., Parveen, S., Sharma, G., & Joshi, G. (2020). Impact of COVID-19 and lockdown on mental health of children and adolescents: A narrative review with recommendations. Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
PMC

Thiha, N., et al. (2025). Exploring the psychological impact on children and adolescents during COVID-19 lockdowns: stress, PTSD symptoms and recovery. BMC Psychology.
SpringerLink

Zuniga-Montañez, C., et al. (2025). How did COVID-19 affect young children’s language environments, communication and social development? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 66(4), 569-587.
radar

Impacts of lockdown on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. Mental Health Foundation (2020). Overview of empirical evidence on lockdown effects.
Mental Health Foundation

Spiteri, J. (2021). The impact of COVID-19 on children’s mental health and wellbeing: a scoping review. Journal of Children’s Services.

🔎 Key Findings from the Literature (in brief)

The pandemic and associated lockdowns increased anxiety, depression, and general psychological distress among children and adolescents.
Cureus

Early childhood (preschool age) appears particularly vulnerable: systematic reviews report developmental delays in language, social communication, and emotional regulation among young children exposed to prolonged lockdown conditions.
MDPI

Longitudinal data suggest that the intersection of pre-existing vulnerabilities (e.g., developmental difficulties, special educational needs, family stress) with pandemic-related disruption increases the likelihood of long-term effects.
ResearchGate

Reduced peer interaction, increased screen time, disrupted routines, and family stress during lockdowns are repeatedly identified as risk factors for emotional and behavioural difficulties post-lockdown.
Royal College of Psychiatrists