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AUTHOR(S) Alex Abramovich; Nelson Pang; Amanda Moss
Family violence is the leading cause of homelessness among youth; however, limited research has examined family violence among 2SLGBTQ + youth experiencing homelessness. The objective of this study was to engage a group of 2SLGBTQ + youth at risk of, and experiencing, homelessness in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding areas in Ontario, Canada, to examine their experiences of family violence before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. 2SLGBTQ + youth at risk of, and experiencing, homelessness and key informants (service providers) participated in online surveys and one-on-one interviews to assess family violence during the pandemic. Qualitative and quantitative data were analyzed separately and merged for interpretation.
AUTHOR(S) Barkha P. Patel; Thrmiga Sathiyamoorthy; Mohana Giruparajah (et al.)
COVID-19 mitigation measures, including closures of schools and recreational facilities and alterations in eating behaviours and physical activity, may impact weight. This study aimed to examine changes in body weight and body mass index (BMI) in children and adolescents with obesity participating in an obesity treatment program before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. Body weight and BMI at baseline and 6 months were recorded for the ‘historic’ cohort (females = 34, males = 21) before the pandemic (November 1, 2018, to March 18, 2020) and for the ‘pandemic’ cohort (females = 30, males = 30) during the pandemic (March 19, 2020 to July 31, 2021). Analyses were adjusted for baseline weight/BMI, age, and ON-Marg score, a measure of the social determinants of health.
AUTHOR(S) Barbara Deren; Katherine Matheson; Paula Cloutier (et al.)
Given the concerns for mental health (MH) impacts on children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the relative paucity of research in this field, this retrospective study compares the rate of paediatric inpatient MH admissions for psychosis for a period of 11 months before and during the pandemic. This study used administrative data to compare the rate and clinical characteristics of patients (<18 years) admitted to a psychiatric inpatient unit for a psychotic illness before (March 17, 2019 to February 17, 2020) and during (March 17, 2020 to February 17, 2021) the COVID-19 pandemic.
AUTHOR(S) Marina Charalampopoulou; Eun Jung Choi; Daphne J. Korczak (et al.)
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.
AUTHOR(S) David B. Nicholas; Rosslynn T. Zulla; Olivia Conlon (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Roula Markoulakis; Andreina Da Silva; Sugy Kodeeswaran (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Philip Aucoin; Olivia Gardam; Elizabeth St. John (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Estefany Sáez-Clarke; Jonathan S. Comer; Angela Evans (et al.)
Commonly-used youth anxiety measures may not comprehensively capture fears, worries, and experiences related to the pervasive impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study described the development of the Fear of Illness and Virus Evaluation (FIVE) scales and validated the caregiver-report version. After initial development, feedback was obtained from clinicians and researchers, who provided suggestions on item content/wording, reviewed edits, and provided support for the updated FIVE’s content and face validity. Factor structure, measurement invariance, and psychometric properties were analyzed using data from a multi-site, longitudinal study of COVID-19-related effects on family functioning with 1599 caregivers from the United States and Canada.
AUTHOR(S) Nwakerendu Waboso; Laurel Donison; Rebecca Raby (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Kelly P. Arbour-Nicitopoulos; Maeghan E. James; Sarah A. Moore (et al.)
This study examined the acute and longer-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the movement behaviours and health of children and youth with disabilities (CYD) in Canada. Eighty-six parents of CYD completed an online survey twice (May 2020 and November 2020). Interviews were completed with seven families in March 2021.
AUTHOR(S) Alice Morissette; Gabrielle Lefebvre; Claude Bacque-Dion (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Natalie Spadafora; Caroline Reid-Westoby; Molly Pottruff (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Hannah O’Reilly; Maria Rogers; Julia Ogg (et al.)
AUTHOR(S) Anne Gadermann; Kimberly Thomson; Randip Gill (et al.)
Early adolescence is a time of psychological and social change that can coincide with declines in mental health and well-being. This study investigated the psychological and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of students who responded to a survey in Grades 7 and 8 (ages 12–14) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The objectives of this study were (i) to provide an overview on early adolescents' experiences and social-emotional well-being during the pandemic; and (ii) to examine whether changes in social experiences as well as feeling safe from getting COVID-19 at school were associated with changes in well-being outcomes over the course of a year. A sample of n = 1,755 students from a large public school district self-reported on their life satisfaction, optimism, and symptoms of sadness across two time points: First, in their Grade 7 year (pre-pandemic; January to March, 2020) and then 1 year later in their Grade 8 year (during the pandemic; January to March, 2021). In Grade 8, students also reported on pandemic-specific experiences, including changes in mental health, social relationships, and activities, as well as coping strategies and positive changes since the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), a population-based self-report tool that assesses children's social-emotional development and well-being in the context of their home, school, and neighborhood. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between pandemic-related changes in relationships and perceived safety from getting COVID-19 at school with changes in well-being outcomes.
AUTHOR(S) Sarah Zak; Elena Gallitto; Elisa Romano
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.
Read the latest quarterly digest on children and disabilities.
The second digest discussed children and violence during the pandemic.
The first digest covers children and youth mental health under COVID-19.
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COVID-19 & Children: Rapid Research Response
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