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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

UNICEF Innocenti's curated library of COVID-19 + Children research

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751 - 765 of 1065
Insights into adolescents' substance use in a low–middle-income country during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Lee Thung Sen; Kristiana Siste; Enjeline Hanaf (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Frontiers in Psychiatry

The COVID-19 pandemic and its lockdown have been a significant life event for many individuals, particularly adolescents. The immense psychological pressure could drive risky behavior, e.g., substance use, while lockdown might lead to decreased use. This study aimed to observe the change in substance use among adolescents in Indonesia and the moderating variables to consumption during the COVID-19 lockdown period. This study utilized an online survey from April 28, 2020 to June 30, 2020. The hyperlink was disseminated to school administrators and parenting groups through social media and direct messages. A total of 2,932 adolescents (17.4 ± 2.24 and 78.7% females) submitted valid responses. The survey was comprised of a sociodemographic section, substance use details, and psychometric sections, including the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), Cigarette Dependence Scale 12 (CDS-12), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ).

Using heartfulness meditation and brainwave entrainment to improve teenage mental wellbeing

AUTHOR(S)
Ghazal Suhani Yadav; Francisco José Cidral-Filho; Ranjani B. Iyer

Published: October 2021   Journal: Frontiers in Psychology
Teenagers are highly susceptible to mental health issues and this problem has been exacerbated by the quarantine restrictions of COVID-19. This study evaluated the use of Heartfulness Meditation and Audio Brainwave Entrainment to help teenagers cope with mental health issues. It used 30-min Heartfulness meditation and 15-min brainwave entrainment sessions with binaural beats and isochronic tones three times a week for 4 weeks. Using a pretest-posttest methodology, participants were asked to complete a survey battery including the Pittsburgh Quality of Sleep Index, Perceived Stress Scale, Patient Health Question-9, Profile of Mood States, and Cambridge Brain Health assessment. Participants (n = 40) were divided into four experimental groups: the control group (n = 9), Audio Brainwave Entrainment group (n = 9), Heartfulness Meditation group (n = 10), and a combined group (n = 12), for a 4-week intervention. Data were analyzed with paired t-tests. The singular Audio Brainwave Entrainment group did not see statistically significant improvements, nor did any of the intervention groups for brain health (p > 0.05). This study, however, proved the efficacy of a 4-week Heartfulness Meditation program to regulate overall mood (p = 0.00132), stress levels (p = 0.0089), state depression (POMS; p = 0.0037), and anger (p = 0.002). Results also suggest adding Audio Brainwave Entrainment to Heartfulness Meditation may improve sleep quality (p = 0.0377) and stress levels (p = 0.00016).
Adolescents’ physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study of mothers’ perspectives

AUTHOR(S)
Fitria Dwi Andriyani; Stuart J. H. Biddle; Katrien De Cocker

Published: October 2021   Journal: BMC Public Health

Socio-behavioural adaptations during the COVID-19 pandemic may have significantly affected adolescents’ lifestyle. This study aimed to explore possible reasons affecting changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour in Indonesian adolescents during the pandemic based on mothers’ perspectives. This research recruited parents (n = 20) from the Yogyakarta region of Indonesia (July–August 2020) using purposive and snowball sampling. Individual interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and anonymised. Data were imported into NVivo software for a reflexive thematic analysis.

Changes in alienation in physical education classes, school happiness, and expectations of a future healthy life after the COVID-19 pandemic in Korean adolescents

AUTHOR(S)
Seung-Man Lee; Jung-In Yoo; Hyun-Su Youn

Published: October 2021   Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
This study aims to investigate the changes in the structural relationship between alienation in physical education (PE) classes, school happiness, and future healthy life expectations in Korean adolescents after the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected from Korean adolescents using different scales. The collected data were analyzed using frequency analysis, reliability analysis, validity analysis, independent t test, and path analysis.
Perceived stress among school students in distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

AUTHOR(S)
Eqbal Radwan; Afnan Radwan; Walaa Radwan (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Augmented Human Research
The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 is a global health problem that has a significant effect on the educational systems. Therefore, students shifted to distance learning through the digital platform. Since COVID-19 has consequences on mental health, the present study examined the perceived stress level in school students in distance learning during the COVID-19 period. A cross-sectional study of a sample consisting of 385 school students evaluated the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and their concerns and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Investigating the effects of COVID-19 lockdown on Italian children and adolescents with and without neurodevelopmental disorders: a cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Cristiano Termine; Linda Greta Dui; Laura Borzaga (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Current Psychology
This cross-sectional study aimed to compare the impact of social distancing and lifestyle changes that occurred during Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) lockdown on children and adolescents with and without Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs). An online questionnaire was administered in order to investigate the effects of NDD condition, socio-demographic status, familiar/home environment and COVID-19 exposure on their lives during a two months period of social isolation. Logistic regression, focusing on five endpoints (remote learning, lifestyle, stress/anxiety, sociality, scolding) was used to define the extent of these effects. Most questions were paired up to parents and children, to verify the occurrence of agreement. 8305 questionnaires were analyzed, 1362 of which completed by NDDs and 6943 by controls.
COVID-19 and mental health in children and adolescents: a diagnostic panel to map psycho-social consequences in the pandemic context

AUTHOR(S)
Menno Baumann

Published: October 2021   Journal: Discover Mental Health
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, much research has been done on the psycho-social consequences, especially for children, adolescents and families. In the long run, there is a large set of quantitative data available. However, these still seem to be not well understood. Theoretical classifications of the evidence also diagnostic tools still seem to be open. This paper elaborates a possible systematisation based on theoretical models of systemic self-organisation theories. This leads to a model for a comprehensive psycho-social child-in-environment diagnostic to map potential problem areas. Such a theoretical framing should enable both: a deeper understanding of the impact of pandemics on young people and hypotheses for intervention strategies in the context of pandemic management as well as in the context of diagnostic-systemic interventions in psycho-social working settings.
Pre-pandemic peer relations predict aadolescents’ internalizing response to Covid-19

AUTHOR(S)
Fanny Mlawer; Christina C. Moore; Julie A. Hubbard (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology
The goal of the current longitudinal study was to investigate the role of adolescents’ peer victimization and aggression prior to COVID-19 on the change in their depressive and anxious symptoms from pre- to mid-pandemic. It was hypothesized that, although adolescents overall would display an increase in internalizing symptoms from pre- to mid-pandemic, this response would be weakened or perhaps even reversed when adolescents experienced high levels of victimization or aggression prior to the pandemic. Participants included 96 racially/ethnically diverse adolescents (42 males, 53 females; 1 other) with an average age of 16.79 years (SD = 0.60).
Loneliness among adolescents and young adults with cancer during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey

AUTHOR(S)
Kaitlyn Howden; Adam P. Yan; Camille Glidden (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Supportive Care in Cancer

Adolescents and young adults (AYAs) diagnosed with cancer are at an increased risk of experiencing social isolation and loneliness secondary to their cancer and its treatment. The physical distancing measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic may have further increased loneliness among this group. This study examined the prevalence of loneliness and factors associated with loneliness among AYAs with cancer during this pandemic. A self-administered, online, cross-sectional survey of Canadian AYAs diagnosed with cancer between 15 and 39 was conducted between January and February 2021. Loneliness was measured using the 3-item UCLA Loneliness Scale. Factors associated with higher levels of loneliness were identified using multiple logistic regression.

State of child and adolescent mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year

AUTHOR(S)
Anna Gatell-Carbó; Elena Alcover-Bloch; Josep Vicent Balaguer-Martínez (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Anales de Pediatría

The aim of this project was to evaluate the psychopathological impact of home confinement and school closing between March and September 2020 on the mental health of Catalonian children. PEDSAME study: first cross-sectional section (beginning of the school year) and retrospective data (lockdown), carried out through the network of Primary Care pediatricians in the Catalan population between 5 and 14 years (included) from 09/14/2020 to 10/30/2020 in a random sample. Data were collected with an online survey through the RedCap platform at the beginning of the school year. The main variable was the result of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire answered by parents to assess the risk of psychopathology, in addition to other related variable.

Adolescent mental health, connectedness, and mode of school instruction during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Marci F. Hertz; Greta Kilmer; Jorge Verlenden (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health

Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic in March 2020, nearly 93% of US students engaged in some distance learning. These school disruptions may negatively influence adolescent mental health. Protective factors, like feeling connected to family or school may demonstrate a buffering effect, potentially moderating negative mental health outcomes. The purpose of the study was to test our hypothesis that mode of school instruction influences mental health and determine if school and family connectedness attenuates these relationships. The COVID Experiences Survey was administered online or via telephone October –November 2020 to adolescents ages 13-19 using NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel, a probability-based panel recruited using random address-based sampling with mail and telephone non-response follow-up. The final sample included 567 adolescents in grades 7-12 who received virtual, in person, or combined instruction. Unadjusted and adjusted associations among four mental health outcomes and instruction mode were measured, and associations with school and family connectedness were explored for protective effects.

iCOPE with COVID-19: a brief telemental health intervention for children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Michelle S. Zepeda; Stephanie Deighton; Veronika Markova (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Cognitive and Behavioral Practice
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted unprecedented disruptions to the daily lives of children and adolescents worldwide, which has been associated with an increase of anxiety and depressive symptoms in youth. However, due to public health measures, in-person psychosocial care has been affected causing barriers to mental health care access. This study investigated the feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness of iCOPE with COVID-19, a brief telemental health intervention for children and adolescents to address anxiety symptoms. Sessions were provided exclusively using videoconferencing technology. Feasibility and acceptability were measured with client satisfaction data.
Emotion regulation and diurnal cortisol: a longitudinal study of early adolescents

AUTHOR(S)
Katerina Rnic; Ellen Jopling; Alison Tracy (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Biological Psychology
Aberrant patterns of diurnal cortisol, a marker of stress reactivity, predict adverse physical and mental health among adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying aberrant diurnal cortisol production are poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate, for the first time, whether the core emotion regulation (ER) strategies of rumination (brooding, reflection), reappraisal, and suppression were prospectively associated with individual differences in diurnal cortisol during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of significant stress. A community sample of 48 early adolescents (Mage=13.45; 60% males) was recruited from British Columbia, Canada. Participants completed ER measures before the pandemic, and diurnal cortisol was assessed by collecting eight saliva samples over two days during the first COVID-19-related lockdown in the region.
Adolescents as partners in the fight against COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Helen Kesta; Ashlesh Kaushik; Anne Jagunla (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: International Journal of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine
This is a report of our experience of COVID-19 disease burden among patients aged 0–21 years at two tertiary care institutions in the Northeast and Midwest from New Jersey and Iowa. Its results showed that during the initial surge (March to August 2020) at both geographic locations, majority of COVID-19 disease burden occurred in adolescents and that they were more likely to be hospitalized for COVID related illnesses, as well as develop severe disease needing intensive care. The study results emphasize the need for providing more targeted interventions toward this group to help prevent disease acquisition and transmission.
Social distancing and adolescent psychological well-being: the role of practical knowledge and exercise

AUTHOR(S)
Ming-Te Wang; Christina L. Scanlon; Meng Hua (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Academic Pediatrics

This intensive longitudinal study investigated (a) the extent to which engaging in social distancing predicted adolescents’ same- and next-day stress and positive affect and (b) whether COVID-19-related knowledge and exercise moderated these links during statewide stay-at-home orders that mandated schools and nonessential businesses to close during the coronavirus pandemic. Over the course of 28 days at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, a nationwide sample of 349 adolescents (Mean age = 15.0; 40% male; 44% Black, 39% White, 9% Latinx, 6% Asian American, 2% Native American) completed daily surveys about their social distancing behaviors, knowledge about the coronavirus, and exercise habits. Analysis was conducted on a total of 9,372 assessments using longitudinal multilevel modeling approaches.

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UNICEF Innocenti's Children and COVID-19 Library is a database collecting research from around the world on COVID-19 and its impacts on children and adolescents.

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COVID-19 & Children: Rapid Research Response

UNICEF Innocenti is mobilizing a rapid research response in line with UNICEF’s global response to the COVID-19 crisis. The initiatives we’ve begun will provide the broad range of evidence needed to inform our work to scale up rapid assessment, develop urgent mitigating strategies in programming and advocacy, and preparation of interventions to respond to the medium and longer-term consequences of the COVID-19 crisis. The research projects cover a rapid review of evidence, education analysis, and social and economic policies.