Daily Behaviors, Worries and Emotions in Children and Adolescents with ADHD and Learning Difficulties during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the coronavirus crisis on behavioral and emotional parameters in children and adolescents with ADHD and Learning Difficulties. A total of 101 children, 5–18 years old, were included in the study, 63 (44 boys) of which were diagnosed with ADHD and learning difficulties (ADHD/LD) and 38 were healthy children (19 boys). The CRISIS questionnaire for parents/caregivers was used. The questionnaire was completed during the first national lockdown in Greece and the data referred to two time-points: 3 months before, and the past 2 weeks. A significant deterioration in the “Emotion/Worries (EW)” symptoms was observed during the pandemic in the control group (2.62 ± 0.16 vs. 2.83 ± 0.18, p < 0.001). No such differences were noted in the ADHD group: 3.08 ± 0.25 vs. 3.12 ± 0.29, p = 0.12. Provision of educational and activities support was related to increased EW before the crisis. In ADHD/LD children, higher parental education and child’s younger age were related to increased symptoms of EW. In the entire group, previous mental health conditions, increasing stress due to restrictions, and increased COVID-related worries were positively associated with the EW symptoms during the crisis. Less affected relations with friends and less reduction in contact with people outside the home were negatively related with EW during the crisis. The study revealed specific parameters that negatively affected the emotional and behavioral variables of children with ADHD and learning difficulties.

Preschoolers’ screen time in China before and during COVID-19 lockdown: a parental survey

“…These variables with statistical significance in the univariable analysis or with clinical significance from previous studies were used as confounding factors to calculate the adjusted ORs (aORs) and the corresponding 95% CIs. [12][13][14] All tests of hypotheses were two tailed. Statistical significance was defined as a p<0.05.…”

The parallel pandemic: The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children with neurocognitive impairments.

“…The so-called “COVID slide” is significantly greater for those children at social or educational risk, as they may regress especially intensely without in-person instruction (Sharfstein & Morphew, 2020), leading to anxiety, depression, frustration, and low self-esteem (Korpa et al, 2021). The relationship between lowered academic achievement and depression and anxiety is well-documented (Peluso & Guerra de Andrade, 2005).…”

“…Fear of contagion, boredom, loneliness, increased social anxiety, irritability, inattention, and increased disruptive behaviors were all observed (de Figueiredo et al, 2021; Jiao et al, 2020). For children with neurocognitive impairments, the impact was even more severe due to a proliferation of factors that will be discussed below (Korpa et al, 2021). Nonetheless, despite the pandemic’s pointed impact on mental health, some children and adolescents were actually able to thrive and even noted improvements in their social and emotional functioning (Chawla et al, 2021; Silk et al, 2022).…”

Risk and Resilience Correlates of Reading Among Adolescents with Language-Based Learning Disabilities During COVID-19

“…Experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted academic skills and mental health for many students (Ellis et al, 2020;Racine et al, 2021), particularly adolescents at risk for academic or socio-emotional challenges (Baschenis et al, 2021;Bosch et al, 2022;Korpa et al 2021). The present study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with a focus on adolescents with language-based learning disabilities (LBLD), who are at heightened risk for academic challenges and comorbid psychiatric or mental health disorders.…”