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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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31 - 45 of 114
Demographic predictors of mothers' willingness to vaccinate young children against COVID-19, get tested and isolate: a cross-sectional survey before and during the greater Sydney lockdown 2021, Australia

AUTHOR(S)
Li Ming Wen; Huilan Xu; Chris Rissel (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

Having a COVID-19 vaccination, getting tested, and self-isolating if symptomatic are some of the most important mitigation strategies for preventing the spread of COVID-19. This study aimed to investigate whether demographic factors are associated with mothers' willingness to vaccinate their 4-year-old children against COVID-19 if a suitable vaccine becomes available or to get tested and self-isolate if they themselves have COVID-19 symptoms and whether the willingness could be influenced by the Greater Sydney lockdown 2021.  A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted between 24th February and 26th October 2021. Questions from the NSW Adult Population Health Survey and from previously published studies were used to assess family demographics, mothers' willingness to vaccinate their young children, and willingness to get tested and self-isolate if symptomatic. The survey involved 604 mothers of children aged 4 years who participated in an existing trial in Sydney, Australia.

Uneven impacts of COVID‐19 on the attendance rates of secondary school students from different socioeconomic backgrounds in Australia: a quasi‐experimental analysis of administrative data

AUTHOR(S)
Wojtek Tomaszewski; Tomasz Zajac; Emily Rudling (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: Australian Journal of Social Issues
This paper contributes to the growing body of research that demonstrates uneven impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on educational outcomes of students from different socioeconomic status (SES) backgrounds. It evaluates the early impacts of COVID-19 on student attendance in secondary school and shows how these impacts depend on students' SES. It employs a quasi-experimental design, using difference-in-differences (DiD) estimation extended to incorporate third-order differences over time between low-SES and other students, and pre- versus during-COVID-19, leveraging robust administrative data extracted from the registers of the Tasmanian Department of Education.
Social media and online digital technology use among muslim young people and parents: qualitative focus group study.

AUTHOR(S)
Caitlin H. Douglass; Aidan Borthwick; Megan S. C. Lim (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting

Digital technology and social media use are common among young people in Australia and worldwide. Research suggests that young people have both positive and negative experiences online, but we know little about the experiences of Muslim communities. This study aims to explore the positive and negative experiences of digital technology and social media use among young people and parents from Muslim backgrounds in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. This study involved a partnership between researchers and a not-for-profit organization that work with culturally and linguistically diverse communities. We adopted a participatory and qualitative approach and designed the research in consultation with young people from Muslim backgrounds. Data were collected through in-person and online focus groups with 33 young people aged 16-22 years and 15 parents aged 40-57 years. Data were thematically analyzed.

"I'm the family ringmaster and juggler": autistic parents' experiences of parenting during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Melanie Heyworth; Simon Brett; Jacquiline den Houting (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: Autism in Adulthood

Little is known about autistic parenthood. The literature that exists suggests that autistic parents can find it difficult to manage the everyday demands of parenting and domestic life. While emerging research has also highlighted more positive parenting experiences, greater understanding of autistic parenthood is needed. This study sought to understand autistic parents' parenting experiences during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thirty-five Australian autistic parents (95% women) of autistic children (aged 4–25 years) took part in semi-structured interviews designed to elicit their experiences of life during lockdown.

Coping with COVID: pandemic narratives for Australian children

AUTHOR(S)
Jessica Gildersleeve; Kate Cantrell; India Bryce (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: Heliyon
The experience of the COVID-19 pandemic can be recognised as traumatic for the way in which its sudden and unexpected onset disrupted a sense of ordinary life for so many around the world. Adults, and far less so children, were unable to prepare for the danger of the rapidly spreading disease. As such, both were left vulnerable to the experience of trauma and anxiety that surrounds the threat of COVID. Whereas adults, however, have access to a range of resources and strategies for mental health protection, children of various ages need targeted resources to enable them to understand, prepare for, and come to terms with a trauma situation. A great deal of research exists around the value of children developing their own narratives as a means of coming to terms with trauma, such that storytelling is identified as a primary coping device. Similarly, literature exists that compares parental narratives of trauma with those of their children. Moreover, the use of the fairy tale as a cautionary tale has long been examined. What has not been established is the way in which contemporary multimedia narratives - such as television programmes, animations, and digital stories - can be used to develop coping strategies in children and to mitigate anxiety in young people experiencing global or collective trauma. This article examines a selection of such narratives produced for Australian children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a cross-disciplinary framework, this work considers how these resources can help (or hinder) mental health recovery in young children under the age of five, as well as strategies for best practice in the future development of trauma-informed resources for this age group.
Family day care educators’ ability to support children’s mental wellbeing and the impact of COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Zoi Triandafilidis; Ashleigh Old; Tanya Hanstock (et al.)

Published: May 2022   Journal: Journal of Early Childhood Research
The childcare setting is a critical environment to observe, and also influence, children’s mental wellbeing. However, little research has examined the experiences and ability of Australian family day care (FDC) educators in supporting children’s mental wellbeing. The present study aimed to explore how training, COVID-19, and partnerships influence FDC educators’ ability to promote children’s mental wellbeing. Seven FDC educators engaged in semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis identified six themes. These were (1) more than a babysitter; (2) experience is the best teacher; (3) close and supportive relationships, which included a sense of exile as a subordinate theme; (4) it takes a village to raise a child; (5) fear and uncertainty; and (6) business and relational difficulties.
A cross-sectional study investigating Canadian and Australian adolescents' perceived experiences of COVID-19: gender differences and mental health implications.

AUTHOR(S)
Riana Marie; Audrey-Ann Journault; Rebecca Cernik (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The coronavirus (COVID-19) disease pandemic has been associated with adverse psychological outcomes. This cross-cultural study (N = 1326, 71% female) aimed to investigate Canadian and Australian adolescents’ subjective experiences of COVID-19, gender differences, and psychological implications. Mixed-methods analyses were used to examine differences in COVID-19 experiences and mental health outcomes between country and gender in a Canadian (N = 913, 78% female) and an Australian sample (N = 413, 57% female) of adolescents. Canadian adolescents reported increased COVID-19 discussions and more concerns related to their COVID-19 experiences compared to Australian adolescents.
Mental health symptoms in children and adolescents during COVID-19 in Australia

AUTHOR(S)
Gemma Sicouri; Sonja Marc; Elizabeth Pellicano (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: The Australian and New Zealand journal of psychiatry

COVID-19 has led to disruptions to the lives of Australian families through social distancing, school closures, a temporary move to home-based online learning, and effective lockdown. Understanding the effects on child and adolescent mental health is important to inform policies to support communities as they continue to face the pandemic and future crises. This paper sought to report on mental health symptoms in Australian children and adolescents during the initial stages of the pandemic (May to November 2020) and to examine their association with child/family characteristics and exposure to the broad COVID-19 environment. An online baseline survey was completed by 1327 parents and carers of Australian children aged 4 to 17 years. Parents/carers reported on their child’s mental health using five measures, including emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention, anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms. Child/family characteristics and COVID-related variables were measured.

Inequalities in the distribution of COVID-19 related financial difficulties for Australian families with young children

AUTHOR(S)
Meredith O'Connor; Christopher J. Greenwood; Primrose Letcher (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: Child

This study examined (1) the frequency of financial difficulties in Australian families with young children (0–8 years) in the early and later phases of the pandemic; (2) the extent to which parents' pre-pandemic socio-economic disadvantage (SED) predicted financial difficulties; and (3) whether grandparent intergenerational SED further amplified this risk. Australian Temperament Project (ATP; established 1983, N = 2443) and ATP Generation 3 study (ATPG3; established 2012; N = 702), of which 74% (N = 553) completed a COVID-specific module in the early (May–September 2020) and/or later (October–December 2021) phases of the pandemic. Outcomes: Parent-reported loss of employment/reduced income, difficulty paying for essentials, and financial strain. Exposures: Pre-pandemic parent and grandparent education and occupation. Analysis: Logistic regressions, estimated via generalized estimating equations, were used to examine associations between the pre-pandemic SED of parents and grandparents and their interaction with financial difficulties, adjusting for potential confounders.

Families’ and professionals’ perspectives of building and maintaining engagement in telepractice early intervention for young children with communication disability

AUTHOR(S)
Felipe Retamal-Walter; Monique Waite; Nerina Scarinci

Published: March 2022   Journal: Disability and Rehabilitation

This paper aimed to explore and describe families’ and professionals’ perspectives about building and maintaining engagement in telepractice early intervention (EI). Individual semi-structured reflexive interviews were conducted with Australian families of young children with communication disability receiving telepractice EI and their treating professionals. These interviews were conducted within one day of a telepractice EI session and analysed using thematic analysis.

Companionship and worries in uncertain times: Australian parents’ experiences of children and pets during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Shannon K. Bennets; Sharinne B. Crawford; Tiffani Howell (et al.)

Published: March 2022   Journal: Anthrozoös
Companion animals (pets), especially cats and dogs, have featured regularly in the media and public discourse during the global COVID-19 pandemic, including increased demand for pet adoption and more time spent with existing pets. This qualitative study aimed to describe the experiences of Australian parents with a child under 18 years and a cat or dog. Within a broader survey, parents were asked open-ended questions about the benefits and challenges for their family of living with a cat or dog during COVID-19, and where relevant, about reasons for adopting a new pet. Data were collected between July and October 2020, during Australia’s “second wave” of COVID-19, when some Australians were subject to strict physical distancing or “stay at home” orders. A total of 611 parents provided at least one free-text response.
Psychosocial factors associated with adolescent depressive and anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Alison Fogarty; Stephanie Brown; Deirdre Gartland (et al.)

Published: March 2022   Journal: International Journal of Behavioral Development
The COVID-19 pandemic has created many challenges for adolescents across the world. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms and suicidal ideation in adolescents living in Melbourne, Australia, during the state of Victoria’s second lockdown. The study also sought to identify pre-existing and current psychosocial stressors associated with adolescent’s depressive and anxiety symptoms, and to identify the extent to which adolescents experiencing mental health difficulties sought professional help during the pandemic. A COVID-19 sub-study of the Mothers’ and Young People’s Study—an 18-year longitudinal cohort study—was conducted between July and September 2020, an online survey completed by 257 adolescents aged 14–17 years and their mothers, which asked about pandemic-related stressors, remote learning, family life, and mental health. Descriptive statistics and hierarchical multiple regression analysis were conducted.
Associations between anxiety and home learning difficulties in children and adolescents with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Anna Jackson; Glenn A. Melvin; Melissa Mulraney (et al.)

Published: March 2022   Journal: Child Psychiatry & Human Development
The COVID-19 pandemic has markedly impacted functioning for children and adolescents including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study explored home learning difficulties (HLD) during COVID-19 restrictions in Australian children (aged 5–17) with ADHD, aiming to: (1) describe home learning experiences, and (2) examine associations between child anxiety (i.e., concurrent anxiety symptoms and pre-existing anxiety disorder status) and HLD. Baseline data from the longitudinal ADHD COVID-19 Survey were used (n = 122). Parents reported on school factors and HLD; pre-existing anxiety and co-occurring difficulties; anxiety, ADHD, and oppositional symptoms; demographics; and medications. Parents retrospectively reported more children often looked forward to school pre-pandemic, than during the pandemic. Anxiety symptoms, but not pre-existing anxiety disorder status, were associated with HLD after accounting for covariates. ADHD inattention symptoms were also associated with HLD. Results support recommendations to continue pre-pandemic supports to assist with ADHD symptoms during home learning, and strategies/supports for families are discussed.
Early childhood educators’ psychological distress and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Emily Berger; Gloria Quinones; Melissa Barnes (et al.)

Published: March 2022   Journal: Early Childhood Research Quarterly
There is growing awareness of the impacts of COVID-19 on children, families, and more recently, early childhood educators. This study aimed to add to this research and explore Australian early childhood educators’ psychological distress and wellbeing in relation to COVID-19. Accordingly, 205 educators (117 early childhood educators, 86 leaders and 2 others) completed the Impact of Event Scale-Revised, measuring levels of post-traumatic distress, and an open-ended question on wellbeing, both in relation to COVID-19. Educators’ responses to the open-ended question were matched to those who scored high, medium, and low on the Impact of Events Scale-Revised.
Longitudinal trajectories of mental health and loneliness for Australian adolescents with-or-without neurodevelopmental disorders: the impact of COVID-19 school lockdowns

AUTHOR(S)
Stephen Houghton; Michael Kyron; David Lawrence (et al.)

Published: February 2022   Journal: Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry

The impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic school lockdowns on the mental health problems and feelings of loneliness of adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is hypothesized to be greater than that of their non-NDD peers. This two and a half year longitudinal study compared changes in the mental health and loneliness of Western Australian adolescents pre-COVID-19 (November 2018 and April 2019), immediately prior to COVID-19 school lockdowns (March 2020), and post schools reopening (July/August 2020). An age-and-gender matched sample of 476 adolescents with-or-without NDDs completed online assessments for mental health and loneliness.

31 - 45 of 114

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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