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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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2776 - 2790 of 6640
Parental mentalizing during a pandemic: use of mental-state language on parenting social media before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Tal Yatziv; Almog Simchon; Nicholas Manco (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Clinical Psychological Science
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a demanding caregiving context for parents, particularly during lockdowns. This study examined parental mentalization, parents’ proclivity to consider their own and their child’s mental states, during the pandemic, as manifested in mental-state language (MSL) on parenting social media. Parenting-related posts on Reddit from two time periods in the pandemic in 2020, March to April (lockdown) and July to August (postlockdown), were compared with time-matched control periods in 2019. MSL and self–other references were measured using text-analysis methods. Parental mentalization content decreased during the pandemic: Posts referred less to mental activities and to other people during the COVID-19 pandemic and showed decreased affective MSL, cognitive MSL, and self-references specifically during lockdown. Father-specific subreddits exhibited strongest declines in mentalization content, whereas mother-specific subreddits exhibited smaller changes. Implications on understanding associations between caregiving contexts and parental mentalization, gender differences, and the value of using social-media data to study parenting and mentalizing are discussed.
Meeting the needs of students with emotional and behavioral disorders during the COVID-19 school closures

AUTHOR(S)
Allison Bruhn; Youn-Jeng Choi; Sara McDaniel (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Behavioral Disorders
The COVID-19 global pandemic left many educators making an emergency transition to remote instruction when schools were initially closed. Although this transition was likely difficult for most students, it may have been particularly difficult for students with emotional or behavioral disorders who have complex and resource-intensive social, emotional, and behavioral needs. The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which special educators and related service providers felt they were able to meet those needs in the context of the pandemic occurring in the Spring of 2020.
COVID-19 testing among US children, parental preferences for testing venues, and acceptability of school-based testing

AUTHOR(S)
Chloe A. Teasdale; Luisa N. Borrell; Yanhan Shen (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Public health reports

Testing remains critical for identifying pediatric cases of COVID-19 and as a public health intervention to contain infections. This study surveyed US parents to measure the proportion of children tested for COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, preferred testing venues for children, and acceptability of school-based COVID-19 testing. It conducted an online survey of 2074 US parents of children aged ≤12 years in March 2021. It applied survey weights to generate national estimates, and it used Rao-Scott adjusted Pearson χ2 tests to compare incidence by selected sociodemographic characteristics. It used Poisson regression models with robust SEs to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) of pediatric testing.

Effectiveness of a parent-mediated intervention for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder: evidence from a large community implementation

AUTHOR(S)
Jessica Brian; Irene Drmic; Caroline Roncadin (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Autism
Recent efforts have focused on developing and evaluating early intervention for toddlers with probable or emerging autism spectrum disorder. Parent-mediated approaches have gained traction, with mounting evidence of efficacy, but a research-to-practice gap exists, and community effectiveness remains to be firmly established. This study reports outcomes of a parent-mediated toddler intervention delivered through a research-community partnership, using a community-partnered participatory framework. Data were available for 179 of 183 toddler-parent dyads receiving Social ABCs parent coaching (mean toddler age: 25.18 months; range, 14–34 months). Of these, 89.4% completed the 12-week program and 70.6% returned for 3-month follow-up assessment.
What are the kids doing? Exploring young children's activities at home and relations with externally cued executive function and child temperament

AUTHOR(S)
Nicole J. Stucke; Gijsbert Stoet; Sabine Doebel

Published: January 2022   Journal: Developmental Science
Young children spend a lot of time at home, yet there is little empirical research on how they spend that time and how it relates to developmental outcomes. Prior research suggests less-structured time—where children practice making choices and setting goals—may develop self-directed executive function in 6-year-olds. But less-structured time may be related to executive function for other reasons—for example, because it provides opportunities to acquire conceptual knowledge relevant to using executive function on tasks. This study thus tested the possibility that less-structured time is also related to younger children's externally cued executive function. In this remote online study, caregivers of 93 3- to 5-year-olds indicated the amount of time their child was typically spending in various activities while at home during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Activities were categorized as structured (primarily lessons with specific goals defined by adults or an app), less-structured (wide range of activities permitting choice and interaction with caregiver), passive (e.g., watching TV or videos), and primarily physical (e.g., bike riding).
Attitudes towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of asthmatic children during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Murat Özer; Nevzat Başkaya; İlknur Bostancı

Published: January 2022   Journal: Pediatric Pulmonology

This study aimed to determine the differences in attitudes and views towards influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in parents of children with asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Asthmatic children in the 6–18 age group who were admitted to the pediatric allergy clinic of our hospital between October 1, 2020 and February 31, 2021 were included in the study. The parents were given a questionnaire asking about their demographics and medical history. Their attitudes and thoughts towards these two vaccines, both before and during the pandemic, and their COVID-19 stories were questioned.

Adaptation of infant mental health services to preterm infants and their families receiving neonatal intensive care unit services during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Jessalyn Kelleher; Jack Dempsey; Stephanie Takamatsu (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Infant mental health
Multiple changes and stressors at the family, hospital, and societal levels have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic that impact the early social environment of infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) settings. This manuscript reviews these pandemic-related adversities, including hospital-wide visitor restrictions, mask requirements that interfere with caregiver facial expressions, parental anxiety about virus transmission, and reduced support services. It will further describe adaptations to mental health service delivery and approaches to care in the NICU to mitigate increased risk associated with pandemic-related adversities. Adaptations include integration of technology, staff education and support, and delivery of activity kits to encourage parent–infant bonding. Data was collected as part of routine program evaluation of infant mental health services from one 50-bed NICU setting and describes family concerns, barriers to visitation, and utilization of mental health services during the pandemic.
Transitioning to virtual interaction during the COVID-19 pandemic: impact on the family connects postpartum home visiting program activity

AUTHOR(S)
Anna Rybińska; Debra L. Best; W. Benjamin Goodman (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Infant Mental Health Journal
This paper analyzes program activity for Family Connects (FC), an evidence-based postpartum home-visiting intervention, during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic began, FC transitioned to a virtual protocol which maintains key psychosocial components of the in-person protocol and adjusts health assessments to address the lack of in-person contact. Program performance is contrasted for periods before the pandemic onset (April 2019–March 2020) and after the onset (April 2020–March 2021), involving 10,280 scheduled visits and 6696 visited families (46% non-Hispanic white; 20% non-Hispanic Black; 23% Hispanic; and 10% other race). Post-pandemic onset, FC program participation rates were at 89.8% of pre-pandemic levels. Home visitors observed post-onset increases in families’ concerns about home safety but declines in families’ needs related to infant care. Community connections were facilitated for 42.9% of visited families post-pandemic onset compared to 51.1% pre-pandemic onset.
Italian same-sex parenting in times of COVID-19: constructing parenthood on insecure grounds

AUTHOR(S)
Salvatore Monaco

Published: January 2022   Journal: Family Relations

This article focuses on the challenges same-sex-parent families in Italy have faced in the context of the COVID-19 crisis. It is universally acknowledged that Italy was the first victim of the novel coronavirus in Europe. Due to the hazards caused by the pandemic, the Italian government implemented a series of countermeasures to help families, resolving the increasingly irreconcilable conflicts between work and childcare, providing financing to the most poverty-stricken families. However, some initiatives have made it clear that in Italy, not all people have received equal benefits. To further investigate and bring awareness to the issue of the vulnerability of Italian same-sex-parent families in times of COVID-19, 40 in-depth interviews were conducted online between March and June 2020 to collect data on attitudes, opinions, and behaviors at the individual level.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on respiratory morbidity during infancy: a birth-cohort study

AUTHOR(S)
Nataly Rosenfeld; Avigdor Mandelberg; Ilan Dalal (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Pediatric Pulmonology

To evaluate the incidence of wheezing and overall respiratory morbidity in healthy infants born during the first peak of the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, compared with infants born during the preceding year. This was a single-center retrospective birth cohort study to compare a cohort of children born between February and March 2020 (COVID-19 group) to a control group of children born between February and March 2019 (pre-COVID-19 group). At 1 year of age, this study collected respiratory data using parental and telephone questionnaires. Primary outcome: wheezing incidence and/or bronchodilator use. Secondary outcomes: recurrent wheezing, emergency-room visits, hospital admissions, pneumonia diagnosis, and admissions due to lower-respiratory-tract-infections (LRTI). It included the following covariate risk factors in the logistic regression models; atopy, daycare attendance, breastmilk feeding, parental smoking, C-section, siblings, and gestational age.

Knowledge and perception of middle school students regarding COVID-19 disease at the start of the pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Maria Manuel Azevedo; Elisa Saraiva; Fátima Baltazar

Published: January 2022   Journal: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education
Facing recent threats of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), an educational strategy was designed and applied to middle school students in order to reinforce related knowledge and behaviors. A group of 65 middle school students (14–18 years old) developed several designed online curricular activities. After the intervention, students answered a questionnaire to assess if they: (a) were familiar with the terms COVID 19 and SARS-CoV-2; (b) were conscious about the importance of preventive measures to stop the spread of this disease; (c) were engaged in these activities; (d) were motivated to research on health-related issues. This study was a first to attempt to evaluate student's perceptions about SARS-CoV-2 infection and support education regarding COVID-19, mainly on the reinforcement of preventive measures.
Teletherapy for children with developmental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines: a mixed-methods evaluation from the perspectives of parents and therapists

AUTHOR(S)
Kathlynne F. Eguia; Catherine M. Capio

Published: January 2022   Journal: Child: Care, Health and Development

As a response to the lockdown associated with COVID-19 in the Philippines, therapy services for children with developmental disorders shifted to telehealth (i.e., teletherapy). This study evaluated the delivery of teletherapy from the perspectives of parents and therapists. Participants consisted of parents (n = 47) and therapists (n = 102) of children with developmental disorders who were receiving teletherapy during the lockdown. A mixed-methods triangulation design-convergence model was adopted; participants were invited to respond to an online survey with closed- and open-ended questions. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive and non-parametric inferential tests, while qualitative data were examined using thematic analysis.

Responding to women experiencing domestic and family violence during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring experiences and impacts of remote service delivery in Australia
Published: January 2022   Journal: Child & Family Social Work
The COVID-19 health pandemic has increased women's vulnerability to all forms of domestic and family violence (DFV). In the first weeks of March 2020, most Australian states and territories, like many other jurisdictions, entered into a period of government-directed restrictions including stay-at-home orders, physical distancing limitations and closure of a significant number of community services. With more people confined to their homes, the risk of DFV increased at the same time as access to support services was reduced. This article presents the findings of two surveys conducted in the Australian states of Victoria and Queensland to explore the professional experiences of practitioners supporting women experiencing violence during the pandemic. This analysis offers new insights into the ways in which practitioners pivoted their services to respond remotely to women experiencing violence and the challenges of effectively undertaking safety planning and risk assessment without face-to-face contact. The second half of this article examines the implications of remote service delivery on practitioner mental health and well-being.
‘It's making his bad days into my bad days’: The impact of coronavirus social distancing measures on young carers and young adult carers in the United Kingdom

AUTHOR(S)
Kate Blake-Holmes; Andy McGowan

Published: January 2022   Journal: Child & Family Social Work
The lockdown measures put in place in March 2020 in England to counter the spread of the coronavirus have had significant implications for the lives and well-being of young carers and young adult carers. In such unprecedented times, little was known about the potential impact on this group and their specific experience of the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions. A rapid review was conducted, 28 young carers responded to a survey and an additional 20 participants were interviewed in January 2021; the survey was repeated with a further 149 responses.
Understanding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on families involved in the child welfare system: technological capital and pandemic practice

AUTHOR(S)
Jordan B. Conrad; Kate Magsamen-Conrad

Published: January 2022   Journal: Child & Family Social Work
Child-welfare practices transformed drastically in 2020 after governments instituted quarantining and social-distancing measures. Child visitation, mental health evaluations and treatment, and court hearings either ceased or only accessible via information communication technologies (ICTs). Peer-reviewed published scholarship about technology use in child welfare is limited to voluntary, supplemental contexts and insufficient to understand the nuanced effects of this transition on vulnerable populations. A critical case study ethnography was used to name this phenomenon, ‘pandemic practice’, and describe how case-management challenges were compounded and/or masked by pandemic practice. Mandatory ICT use in case management contributed to injustices for some families in the child-welfare system, including children spending extended time in foster care, families receiving superficial treatment services and irreparable harm to timely case progression. This study used technology adoption theory and technological capital framework to identify and understand the complexities of pandemic practice beyond a simple digital divide perspective. It presents a hierarchy of technological capital necessary to participate in pandemic practice, suggestions to create sufficient capital and implications for policy and practice.
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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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Check our quarterly thematic digests on children and COVID-19

Each quarterly thematic digest features the latest evidence drawn from the Children and COVID-19 Research Library on a particular topic of interest.
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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.