Children and COVID-19 Research Library

Negative emotions, such as the feeling of loneliness, are significantly associated with emotional eating. As a coping mechanism to regulate and reduce negative emotions, adolescents and young adults are found to lose control and binge. The global pandemic and enforced lockdowns have imposed psychological changes, depressive symptoms, and perceived stress. COVID-19 has led to psychiatric morbidity and dietary changes in youth. This study was designed to see if the feeling of loneliness and emotional eating is associated with contraction COVID-19. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using internationally validated questionnaires such as the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ), UCLA loneliness scale, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). An online survey comprised of these questionnaires and the history of diagnosed COVID-positive contractions was administered among undergraduate and graduate students in Karachi, Pakistan.

To assess changes in duration, timing, and social jetlag in adolescent sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluate the impact of mood, physical activity, and social interactions on sleep. An online survey queried adolescents’ sleep before (through retrospective report) and during the initial phase of COVID-19 in May 2020. Adolescents (N = 3,494), 13–19 years old, in the United States (U.S.) answered questions about their current and retrospective (prior to COVID-19) sleep, chronotype, mood, and physical and social activities. Linear regression models were fit for time in bed, reported bed and wake times, and social jetlag during COVID-19, accounting for pre-COVID-19 values.

A cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the association between BMI and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) score among pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers. An online survey was used to obtain sociodemographic data and EPDS scores from pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers in Indiana from July 27, 2020 until July 30, 2021. Potential participants were invited through a Facebook group. The inclusion criteria were pregnant women and exclusive breastfeeding mothers,18 years of age or older, with a singleton pregnancy, who intended to breastfeed after delivery, and used English as a primary language. Data were collected using Qualtrics and descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation (SD) and percentages, were used to characterize demographic variables. Multiple linear regression was performed to examine the association [beta coefficient (β) with 95% confidence interval (CI)] between BMI and EPDS with adjustment for potential confounding factors (e.g., sociodemographic factors).

Canadian province-wide lockdowns have challenged children’s mental health (MH) during the COVID-19 pandemic, with autistic children being at particular risk. The purpose of this study was to identify sub-groups of autistic children with distinct mental health change profiles, to understand the child-, parent-, and system-specific factors associated with such profiles in order to ultimately inform future interventions. Data were drawn from a large Canadian cohort (N=1,570) across Ontario, resulting in 265 autistic children (mean age=10.9 years, 76% male). K-means clustering analyses were employed to partition distinct MH profiles in six MH measures (mood, anxiety, OCD symptoms, irritability, inattention, hyperactivity) and group differences were examined with reference to the above factors.