The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic forced the home confinement of the majority of population around the world, including a significant number of children and adolescents, for several weeks in 2020. Negative psychological effects have been identified in adults, but research about the impact of this type of social distancing measure on children and adolescents is scarce. The present study aimed to describe and compare the immediate psychological and behavioral symptoms associated with COVID-19 quarantine in children and adolescents from three southern European countries with different levels of restrictions (Italy, Spain, and Portugal). Parents of 1,480 children and adolescents (52.8% boys) between 3 and 18 years old (M = 9.15, SD = 4.27) participated in the study. An online survey using snowball sampling techniques was conducted during 15 days between March and April 2020, representing the early phase of the quarantine associated with COVID-19 outbreak. Parents answered questionnaires about sociodemographic data, housing conditions, immediate psychological responses during quarantine (e.g., anxiety, mood, sleep, and behavioral alterations), patterns of use of screens, daily physical activity, and sleep hours before and during the quarantine. The results revealed an increase in children's psychological and behavioral symptoms, increased screen-time, reduced physical activity, and more sleep hours/night. Italian children presented less psychological and behavioral symptoms compared with Portuguese and Spanish children. In general, hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that having an outdoor exit in the house (e.g., garden, terrace) contributed to lower levels of psychological and behavioral symptomatology. Future studies are needed to identify family and individual variables that can better predict children and adolescents' well-being during and after quarantine. Recommendations for families and implications for practice are discussed.

a b s t r a c tThe advances and incorporation of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in everyday family life has earned a place of prominence in the research field. This paper provides a research synthesis of the literature published between 1998 and 2013 examining the relationship of ICTs and family functioning. Searching through databases, 45 papers were located and analyzed which enabled the conceptualization of this relationship in five domains: (1) attitudes toward ICTs, (2) types of ICTs and using patterns, (3) family cohesion, (4) family roles, rules and intergenerational conflicts, and (5) family boundaries. Results show that ICTs have implied qualitative changes in family functioning, creating new interaction scenarios and rearranging current family relational patterns. Some gaps in the literature are pointed out, such as the difference operationalization of variables and the use of non-standard instruments in the studies. Suggestions are made for clinical interventions and future research in this domain.

This is the first study developed in Portugal which investigates specific characteristics of dance and gymnastics environments that make them high-risk contexts for the development of eating disorders. Four focus groups were conducted with thirteen ballet students from a professional dance school and nine gymnasts from a gymnastics club (aged 12 to 17 years old), which were subjected to an inductive-deductive analysis procedure. Specific risk and protective factors were identified. Among their respective sources of influence, teachers and coaches are those who exert a stronger influence upon young athletes. We also explored some themes related to the influence of peers, parents, and environmental characteristics, which could have an important role on the development or prevention of disordered eating.Este es el primer estudio realizado en Portugal que tiene como objetivo investigar las características específicas que en el mundo de la danza y de la gimnasia pudieran ser factores de alto riesgo para el desarrollo de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Se realizaron cuatro grupos focales con trece estudiantes de danza profesional y nueve gimnastas (de 12 a 17 años). Las transcripciones de los grupos focales fueron sometidas a un procedimiento de análisis inductivo-deductivo. Se identificaron factores de riesgo y protectores específicos. Entre las respectivas fuentes de influencia, los profesores y entrenadores son los que ejercen mayor influencia sobre los jóvenes atletas. También se exploraron algunos temas relacionados con la influencia que tienen compañeros, padres y las características del entorno deportivo; los cuales pueden tener un importante rol tanto en el desarrollo como en la prevención de comportamientos alimentarios alterados. Palabras clave: trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, ballet, gimnasia, adolescentes, grupo focal.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the quarantine undergone by children in many countries is a stressful situation about which little is known to date. Children and adolescents' behaviors to cope with home confinement may be associated with their emotional welfare. The objectives of this study were: (1) to examine the coping strategies used out by children and adolescents during the COVID-19 health crisis, (2) to analyze the differences in these behaviors in three countries, and (3) to examine the relationship between different coping modalities and adaptation. Participants were 1,480 parents of children aged 3–18 years from three European countries (nSpain = 431, nItaly = 712, and nPortugal = 355). The children's mean age was 9.15 years (SD = 4.27). Parents completed an online survey providing information on symptoms and coping behaviors observed in their children. The most frequent coping strategies were accepting what is happening (58.9%), collaborating with quarantine social activities (e.g., drawings on the windows, supportive applauses) (35.9%), acting as if nothing is happening (35.5%), highlighting the advantages of being at home (35.1%), and not appearing to be worried about what is happening (30.1%). Compared to Italian and Spanish children, Portuguese children used a sense of humor more frequently when their parents talked about the situation. Acting as if nothing was happening, collaborating with social activities, and seeking comfort from others were more likely in Spanish children than in children from the other countries. Compared to Portuguese and Spanish children, Italian children did not seem worried about what was happening. Overall, an emotional-oriented coping style was directly correlated with a greater presence of anxious symptoms, as well as to mood, sleep, behavioral, and cognitive alterations. Task-oriented and avoidance-oriented styles were related to better psychological adaptation (considered a low presence of psychological symptoms). Results also show that unaffected children or children with a lower level of impact were more likely to use strategies based on a positive focus on the situation. This study provides interesting data on the strategies to be promoted by parents to cope with the COVID-19 health crisis in children.