 The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of children and adolescents worldwide. Isolation, contact restrictions, and economic shutdown have disrupted the psychosocial environment, leading to anxiety, lack of peer contact and reduced stress regulation opportunities. Additionally, an increased risk for parental mental illness, domestic violence and child maltreatment has been identified, particularly for vulnerable populations such as those with special needs or disadvantages. To maintain regular and emergency child and adolescent psychiatric treatment during the pandemic is crucial to limit long-term consequences for their mental health. Urgent research questions include understanding the mental health effects of social distancing and economic pressure, identifying risk and resilience factors and preventing long-term consequences such as child maltreatment. Telepsychiatry is another important issue that needs to be evaluated to assess its efficacy in child and adolescent psychiatry. Overall, child and adolescent psychiatrists must ensure continuity of care during the pandemic and address the disproportionate impact on disadvantaged and marginalized populations. Research is needed to assess the implications of policies enacted to contain the pandemic on mental health and estimate the risk-benefit ratio of measures such as homeschooling to better prepare for future developments.