Mental sequelae of the Covid-19 pandemic: Well-being one year into the crisis in children with and without complex medical histories and their parents

Abstract

ObjectivesTo understand the long-term mental sequelae for families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, the well-being of children with and without complex medical histories and their parents was investigated longitudinally.MethodsWell-being of 200 school-aged children (73 typically-developing, 46 born very preterm, 73 with complex congenital heart disease) and 175 of their parents was assessed prior to and during the first (April–May 2020), second (October–November 2020), and third waves (April–May 2021) of the pandemic with standardized questionnaires. Social and COVID-19-specific determinants were investigated as predictors of impaired well-being.ResultsChild proxy-reported well-being was lower than before the pandemic during the first (P<0.001) and third waves (P=0.01) but not the second (P=0.13). Child self-reported well-being was not lower during the pandemic (all P>0.10). Parent well-being dropped during the first wave (P<0.001) and remained low during the first year (P<0.01). One year into the pandemic, 18/25% of children (self-/proxy-report) and 27% of parents scored below the normal range compared to 11%/10%, and 16%, respectively, before the pandemic. Parents of typically-developing children reported lower well-being than parents of children born very preterm (P=0.006) or with a complex congenital heart disease (P=0.03). Child and parent well-being was lower in families with sparse social support (P<0.001) and poor family functioning (P<0.01).ConclusionThe pandemic continues to impact family well-being one year after its outbreak. Families with sparse social support and poor family functioning are particularly at risk for compromised well-being and support should be provided to them.

Sleep as a protective factor of children’s executive functions: A study during COVID-19 confinement

“…For example, in France 14–24 year-olds revealed the highest prevalence of moderate-to-severe depressive symptoms in relation to the COVID-19 confinement [ 13 ]. Moreover, in Switzerland the well-being of school-age children was still affected one year after the COVID-19 outbreak [ 14 ]. Specifically, families with sparse social support and poor family functioning are at risk for compromised well-being.…”

“…During confinement-related school closures, as impaired learning progress of school-age children was reported, cognitive performance further declined in preschoolers [ 15 ]. As confinement impacted the well-being of families one year beyond the outbreak [ 14 ], the chronic effects of confinement on children’s cognition require further investigation. Previous work describing impaired cognitive abilities as a risk to develop mental disorders such as attention disorder [ 15 – 17 ] or depression [ 18 ] further emphasizes this necessity.…”

Determinants of health-related quality of life in healthy children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: results from a prospective longitudinal cohort study

“…Various studies have shown that HRQOL in children and adolescents has worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic [2][3][4][5], though there is some evidence that it has at least partially recovered to prepandemic levels [6]. HRQOL is a complex construct, defined as a subjective perception that an individual has about the impact their health has on their life, involving not only biological factors (e.g.…”