The indirect health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents: A review

Abstract

It is pertinent to examine potentially detrimental impacts of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on young people. We conducted a review to assess the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents. Databases of MEDLINE, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched in June 2020, using keywords for ‘children’, ‘adolescents’ and ‘COVID-19’. English papers discussing young people in context to the COVID-19 pandemic were included. Quality of selected studies was evaluated and scored. Of the 2013 identified articles, 22 met the inclusion criteria, including 11 cohort studies, ten cross-sectional studies and one report. Five main issues emerged: Increased mental health conditions, declines in presentations to paediatric emergency departments, declines in vaccination rates, changes in lifestyle behaviour (mainly decreased physical activity for specific groups of children), and changes in paediatric domestic violence and online child sexual abuse. There are early indications that the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting the health of young people, and this is amplified for those with existing health conditions and vulnerabilities. Despite this, there is limited insight into the protective factors for young people’s health and wellbeing, as well as how the impacts of the pandemic can be mitigated in both the short and long term.

Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Interplay of Age, Gender, and Mental Health Outcomes in Two Consecutive Cross-Sectional Surveys in Northern Italy

“…Several reviews and studies have examined the short and long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of young people [ 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Bussières et al [ 52 ] found that mental health problems in children up to 13 years of age increased three times more in European countries than in Asian countries.…”

Call for Action—Crisis Recovery and Preparedness in Child and Adolescent Public Health

“…Europe was not prepared for the most recent crises, particularly regarding protection and support of younger populations. The negative health consequences have been amply documented for the COVID-19 crisis [ 3 , 4 ] while other crises are less well investigated. For a prepared and sustainable society, public health decision-making processes are needed that 1) are more inclusive to any vulnerable group, such as children and adolescents, 2) systematize in a transparent way the best available knowledge from all disciplines on all consequences (i.e., effects and side effects; short and long-term impacts) of potential public health decisions, 3) consult the younger populations (and guardians) as any other stakeholder and, 4) provide public services that protect fundamental rights of children and youth, e.g., safety from violence, having a home and minimal financial support, remain available in times of crises and anticipate emerging needs.…”

“…Crises disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, and risk to further decrease the resilience of young people, their families and communities [ 3 , 4 ]. To address the preparedness for future crises and the most pressing public health problems for children and adolescents, the European Public Health Association (EUPHA) Child and Adolescent Public Health Section proposes the following actions to counteract the adverse health consequences of crises and to promote healthy environments, health and resilience among children and adolescents.…”

Penguatan Kapasitas Guru SMA Dalam Masa Pandemi Covid-19 Terkait Usaha Kesehatan Sekolah

“…Hal tersebut berdampak pada kesehatan mental, meningkatkan risiko paparan kekerasan dalam kondisi lockdown, dan pada remaja meningkatkan risiko HIV dan kehamilan dini (UNICEF, WHO, PMNCH, & UHC2023, 2021). Masalah kesehatan mental yang ditemukan dalam masa pandemi yaitu, meningkatnya episode depresif, afek negatif, ketegangan, ketakutan dan kesepian (Branje & Morris, 2021;Oostrom, et al, 2019;Theberath et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2021). Masalah kesehatan lain yang ditemukan yaitu terhambatnya pelayanan pencegahan dan pengobatan Penyakit Tidak Menular (PTM); menurunnya angka vaksinasi; masalah nutrisi, penurunan aktivitas fisik (León & Arguello, 2021;Oostrom et al, 2019;PMNCH, 2021;Zemrani et al, 2021).…”

“…Masalah kesehatan mental yang ditemukan dalam masa pandemi yaitu, meningkatnya episode depresif, afek negatif, ketegangan, ketakutan dan kesepian (Branje & Morris, 2021;Oostrom, et al, 2019;Theberath et al, 2022;Wang et al, 2021). Masalah kesehatan lain yang ditemukan yaitu terhambatnya pelayanan pencegahan dan pengobatan Penyakit Tidak Menular (PTM); menurunnya angka vaksinasi; masalah nutrisi, penurunan aktivitas fisik (León & Arguello, 2021;Oostrom et al, 2019;PMNCH, 2021;Zemrani et al, 2021). Tidak hanya itu, pandemi COVID-19 juga menyebabkan penurunan penyesuaian akademik pada pelajar (Branje & Morris, 2021).…”