Using Mixed Methods to Identify the Primary Mental Health Problems and Needs of Children, Adolescents, and Their Caregivers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Fitzpatrick, Olivia; Carson, Amani; Weisz, John R.

doi:10.1007/s10578-020-01089-z

Cited by 69 publications

(68 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Nevertheless, in line with our results very young children tend to react to adverse and traumatic events predominantly with dysregulated, externalizing behaviours rather than with internalizing problems due to their limited cognitive abilities (Kertz & Woodruff-Borden, 2011;Scheeringa, Zeanah, Myers, & Putnam, 2003;Straussner & Calnan, 2014). Accordingly, similar age-effects on the type of mental health problems of children aged 1-19 years during COVID-19 were also found in a study using parental reports only for qualitative thematic analyses (Fitzpatrick, Carson, & Weisz, 2020), thus supporting our results. Interestingly, adolescents reported on average a significantly larger decrease in both emotional and behavioural problems than preschool-and school-children using parental report.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…This may be due to new or enhanced partnership problems and confinement-related distress, as it has been found after other life-events, with a negative impact on mental health in the whole family system (Prime, Wade, & Browne, 2020;Weijers, Steensel, & Bögels, 2018). This is supported by recent findings that during the COVID-19 pandemic parent-reported mental health problems in children were positively associated with the number of family members in the home (Fitzpatrick et al, 2020).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

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Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents

Schmidt

Barblan

Lory

et al. 2021

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

115

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Background: Children and adolescents are affected in various ways by the lockdown measures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in this age-group. Objective: The objective was to investigate and compare the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in three age groups (1-6 years, 7-10 years, 11-19 years) and to examine the associations with psychological factors. Methods: An anonymous online survey was conducted from 9 April to 11 May 2020 during the acute phase of major lockdown measures. In this cross-sectional study, children and adolescents aged between 1 and 19 years were recruited as a population-based sample. They were eligible if they were residents in Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein or Switzerland, were parents/caregivers of a child aged between 1 and 10 years or adolescents ≥11 years, had sufficient German language skills and provided informed consent. Results: Among 5823 participants, between 2.2% and 9.9% reported emotional and behavioural problems above the clinical cut-off and between 15.3% and 43.0% reported an increase in these problems during the pandemic. Significant age-related effects were found regarding the type and frequency of problems (χ 2 (4) ≥50.2, P ≤ 0.001). While preschoolers (1-6 years) had the largest increase in oppositional-defiant behaviours, adolescents reported the largest increase in emotional problems. Adolescents experienced a significantly larger decrease in emotional and behavioural problems than both preschoolers and school-children. Sociodemographic variables, exposure to and appraisal of COVID-19, psychotherapy before COVID-19 and parental mental health significantly predicted change in problem-scores (F ≥ 3.69, P ≤ 0.001). Conclusion:A substantial proportion of children and adolescents experience age-related mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic. These problems should be monitored, and support should be offered to risk-groups to improve communication, emotion regulation and appraisal style. Efectos de la pandemia de COVID-19 relacionados con la edad en la salud mental de niños y adolescentesAntecedentes: Los niños y adolescentes se ven afectados de diversas maneras por las medidas de confinamiento debidas a la pandemia de COVID-19. Por lo tanto, es crucial comprender mejor los efectos de la pandemia de COVID-19 en la salud mental de este grupo de edad. Objetivo: El objetivo fue investigar y comparar los efectos de la pandemia COVID-19 en la salud mental en tres grupos de edad (1-6 años, 7-10 años, 11-19 años) y examinar las asociaciones con factores psicológicos. Métodos: Se realizó una encuesta anónima en línea del 9 de abril al 11 de mayo de 2020 durante la fase aguda de las principales medidas de confinamiento. Como una muestra basada en la población, en este estudio transversal, se reclutaron niños y adolescentes de entre 1 y 19 años. Eran seleccionables si residían en Austria, Alemania, Liechtenstein o Suiza, si eran padres/cuidadores de un niño de e...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents

Schmidt

Barblan

Lory

et al. 2021

European Journal of Psychotraumatology

115

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Youth aged ≤ 12 years' caregivers more often reported feelings of exhaustion and fatigue, which were mostly related to the increased demand for attention at home. Similar results were found in studies conducted with caregivers of children without diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 20 , 21 ]. An Italian study evaluated exhaustion in parents during the lockdown by COVID-19 and showed that the cancellation of children’s classes and social activities makes it very difficult for caregivers to reconcile work with the needs for attention, play, and education demanded by children [ 22 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 88%

“Not having a minute of self-distancing during the social distancing is exhausting”: a qualitative study on the perspective of caregivers of youth with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2021

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Objective To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on caregivers of youth with type 1 diabetes. Methods We performed a qualitative research based on an open-ended questionnaire that was conducted through an online platform for primary caregivers of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Participants were asked to describe the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on their caring for youth with diabetes, as well as the emotional burden that it has brought to their personal lives. Interview responses were coded and stratified by youth age: ≤ 12 years (youth aged ≤ 12 years) and between 13 and 18 years (youth aged > 12 years). The connections between the responses were identified based on either positive or negative content of the reported experience. Data were analyzed in accordance with an inductive reasoning methodology. Results A total of 318 participants (mean age of 40.3 ± 8.1 years old) were included, representing caregivers of youth aged 11.7 ± 4.3-year-old with diabetes duration of 5.1 ± 3.8 years. The preponderance of negative feelings was noteworthy. Regarding diabetes care, more than 80% of participants reported concern and anxiety about the changes in habits that accompanied the pandemic. Also, more than half of caregivers regretted the isolation of their youth, factors that were associated with greater difficulty in achieving good glycemic control. Regarding the personal burden experienced, the negative impact of uncertainties and concerns about the COVID-19 were present in almost all participants. Conclusion The period of pandemic may lead to exhaustion in caregivers of youths with type 1 diabetes, which reflects the need for mental health support strategies to help those families. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00592-021-01753-3.

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“…Moreover, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic may have exacerbated already existing high rates of mental health problems among children and adolescents, including emotional and behavioral problems ( 6 – 10 ). Noteworthy, most of the available data on mental health among children and adolescents is coming from developed countries in Europe and North America.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Brief Research Report: The Association Between Educational Experiences and Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Variables, and Mental Health Among Children and Adolescents

Ramírez

Aldunate²,

Vargas³

et al. 2021

Front. Psychiatry

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Introduction: Mental health problems among children and adolescents are frequent. Today, the world is facing a pandemic with a novel coronavirus, which is related to the higher rates of mental problems reported worldwide. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of the Covid-19 related experiences, educational experiences, and family functioning on mental health and wellbeing among children and adolescents in Chile during the Pandemic and lockdown health measures.Methods: This is a cross-sectional analysis of the first wave of an ongoing longitudinal study among girls and boys of Pre-Kindergarten to 12th grade (4–18 years old) in Santiago, Chile. The sample consisted of 979 students from eight different schools. The method of data collection was online surveys administered to parents and adolescents. The dependent variables were mental health problems and wellbeing. Several independent variables were assessed (sociodemographic variables, Covid-19 related experiences, related educational experiences, and family functioning). A descriptive analysis and univariable and multivariable regression models were performed to study the association between variables.Results: Positive educational experiences, primarily academic self-concept, reduced the probability of mental health problems and increased wellbeing. Among covid-19 related variables, practicing meditation or praying reduced emotional problems, while having family or health problems increased emotional problems among adolescents. No clear association between Covid-19 related experiences variables among children was found.Conclusions: Our findings may help educational and public health authorities to plan future school preventive interventions to improve mental health and wellbeing in this population.

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Using Mixed Methods to Identify the Primary Mental Health Problems and Needs of Children, Adolescents, and Their Caregivers during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic

Cited by 69 publications

References 66 publications

Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents

Age-related effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health of children and adolescents

“Not having a minute of self-distancing during the social distancing is exhausting”: a qualitative study on the perspective of caregivers of youth with type 1 diabetes during the COVID-19 pandemic

Brief Research Report: The Association Between Educational Experiences and Covid-19 Pandemic-Related Variables, and Mental Health Among Children and Adolescents

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