School and learning contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for child and youth mental health

Abstract

Despite significant disruption to school during the COVID-19 pandemic, research on the impact on children is sparse. This study examines in-person and virtual learning contexts and the impact of school format on mental health (MH). Children and adolescents were recruited from community and clinical settings. Parents and children completed prospective online surveys about school experiences (November 2020) and MH symptoms (February/March 2021), including school format and activities. Standardized measures of depression, anxiety, inattention, and hyperactivity were collected. Hierarchical regression analyses tested associations between school format and MH. Children (N = 1011; aged 6–18 years) attending school in-person (n = 549) engaged in high levels of participation in COVID-19 health measures and low levels of social learning activities. Learning online in high school was associated with greater MH symptoms (B = -2.22, CI[-4.32,-.12] to B = -8.18, CI[-15.59,-.77]). Children with no previous MH condition that attended school virtually experienced a similar magnitude of MH symptoms as those with previous MH conditions. However, children who attended school in a hybrid in-person format, with no previous MH condition, experienced less hyperactivity as same-age peers with prior MH problems (B = -8.08, CI[1.58,14.58]). Children’s learning environments looked very different compared to before the pandemic. Removing children from school environments and limiting opportunities that support their MH, such as social learning activities, is problematic. Efforts to address the learning contexts to protect the mental health of children are needed.

Disruption to Education During COVID-19: School Nonacademic Factors Are Associated with Children's Mental Health

“…In a meta-analysis of 51 studies (67,378 youth), Allen and colleagues 14 identified several factors that foster connectedness at school and suggested that such efforts to address school connectedness would support students' well-being. Even when schools were open to in-person learning, recent research illustrated low levels of social-learning activities (e.g., group work, 1:1 teacher-student time), 4 which could explain lower levels of connectedness during the pandemic.…”

“…School Changes: Ease of Adapting Children's learning environments during the pandemic are much different than before the pandemic, 4 and differences in the mode of school instruction may be important for their MH. 4,6 Stable learning environments that involve structured routines support behavior and achievement 35 ; however, schools have experienced repeated closures and reopenings and have had to implement several public health measures, all of which have the potential to erode the structure and stability of the learning environment. 8 Our results showed that greater difficulty adapting to changes at school was associated with greater MH symptoms.…”

“…11 To date, few studies have examined the school environment in relation to children's worsening MH. 4 Among those that have, the research objectives have primarily focused on school modality 4,6 or academic achievement. 9 Nonacademic aspects of school, including perceptions about learning and relationships, have also been disrupted, yet these are not well-studied.…”

“…During the pandemic, children's learning was disrupted by repeated periods of school closures and a myriad of public health measures 8 implemented during in-person schooling. 4 While many are concerned about academic learning loss, 9 schools also foster nonacademic factors such as the importance of learning 10 and a sense of connectedness. 11 When children view school as important, they are more likely to be motivated and engaged with tasks in meaningful ways that help them achieve deeper levels of comprehension.…”

“…It underpins our ability to make decisions, build relationships and shape the world we live in.” 1 Worsening child and youth MH, across multiple domains, has been reported by recent research during the coronavirus pandemic 2,3 ; we some suspect that the disruption to education is likely an important contributor. 4–7 While current knowledge of specific school-based contributors to child MH is limited, the sheer amount of time that children spend attending school makes it essential to explore the school environment in the context of children's MH. During the pandemic, children's learning was disrupted by repeated periods of school closures and a myriad of public health measures 8 implemented during in-person schooling.…”