Children and COVID-19 Research Library

There are an increasing number of people identifying as part of the LGBT community, with over 165,000 same-sex couples in the US having children in 2019. Research on parenting during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic has been disseminated. However, there is limited research that examines the experiences of same-sex parents. Therefore, a structured qualitative review of online blogs published during the Covid-19 pandemic, authored by same-sex parents, was conducted. Following thematic analysis, three main themes (and 13 subthemes) emerged: 1) Connection; 2) Contrasting experiences of home schooling; and 3) Pride in family. Similarities between same-sex and different-sex parents were highlighted. However, it is notable that same-sex parents continue to feel stigma and exclusion from the wider parenting community.

Crises have always brought along transformations in gender identities, roles, and relations: while much has changed in Western culture regarding the role of women and notions of masculinity are also challenged, efforts to control female roles, bodies, and sexualities persist. For example, Susan Faludi’s The Terror Dream has described the post-9/11 age as an era of reconstituted “traditional” manhood, redomesticated femininity and nuclear family “togetherness.” The question that lies at the basis of this paper is whether – and if so, how –science fiction cinema continues to respond to moments of crisis and vulnerability through the old myth of protective manhood and feminine weakness. By identifying two cases of insecurity – climate change and the coronavirus pandemic – this study analyses a recent film (Bird Box, 2018) and two TV series on pandemic outbreaks from the US (Sweet Tooth, 2021) and Italy (Anna, 2021). All three works break new ground – though not devoid of limits – about family structures and parental care: while Bird Box proposes a reversal of gender roles, Anna elaborates on the notion of motherhood by presenting unconventional models of mothering; in Sweet Tooth, the ethics of care is extended to the relationship between humans, animals, and the endangered environment.

An active participation in physical activity is associated with several elements of successful aging, including psychosocial health and well-being. Not getting enough physical activity and increased psychosocial health problems are observed worldwide especially during the first year of Covid-19 pandemic and for that reason, the present study was aimed at analyzing and comparing physical activity of Slovak adolescents during the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic. Standardized measure to estimate the habitual practice of physical activity (IPAQ-SF) was carried out through intentional sampling of 2375 Slovak adolescents (54.56 % of them adolescent girls), aged 17-19 years (mean 18.10 ± 0.60 years), attending the last year of grammar and vocational secondary schools of Slovakia. Basic descriptive statistics, chi-square test (χ2) and Two -Sample T-Test were used to analyze and compare the data.

Digital (video) calls have become a significant tool during the challenging times marked by the COVID-19 pandemic. The article focuses on the perceived functionality of video calls for maintaining social contacts and overcoming loneliness in celebrating family festivities limited by physical distance policies. The qualitative study conducted at the end of 2021 in Latvia and Spain examines families’ cultural socialisation via digital tools and, based on data obtained from semi-structured in-depth interviews, assesses the users’ digital experiences in celebrating Christmas and the New Year from retrospective and prospective standpoints.

Understanding the negative impact of the pandemic on children and adolescents is essential in order to provide proper support and intervention. Nonetheless, surmounting adversity, such as COVID-19, may also provide positive lessons for youth to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic and prepare society for future crises. The objective of the current qualitative study was to document the perceived positive aspects identified by children and adolescents during COVID-19 and how they made sense of their experience. Participants (N = 67, 5–14 years old) were recruited in May and June 2020. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via a videoconferencing platform. Based on the transcribed and coded interviews, a thematic qualitative analysis was derived utilizing NVivo. Participants' answers were grouped into four main themes and sub-themes: (1) school changes, (2) bonding time, (3) free time, and (4) technology usage. Analysing youth perspectives on their experience of the COVID-19 pandemic provides insight into some of the positive changes and lessons that can be gained amidst the overwhelming negative consequences of the pandemic.

This paper aims to analyze the evolution of research on children and adolescents mental health issues during COVID-19 pandemic and discuss research hotspots and cutting-edge developments. The literature obtained from the web of science core collection as of June 28, 2022, was analyzed using Citespace, VOSviewer bibliometric visualization mapping software.

Boredom is the phenomenon most adolescent students have been struggling with, especially during the pandemic; they were regularly mandated to stay in a new normal way. This research aimed to study the life experience of boredom towards online activities leading to dysfunctional behaviours of teens, to survey the preference for online learning methods of Thai adolescent students, and to create a virtual reality classroom for English writing classes. The first study, transcendental phenomenology, included ten teens between 13 and 18 years old selected by purposive sampling. In study, 285 Thai teens were recruited to answer the questionnaire, and the last phase included five experts to discuss the strategies for creating a VR classroom.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented disruptions in the daily lives and mental health of adolescents. Less attention has been given to the psychosocial resources that may mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health, particularly among minoritized populations. In the present study, 259 youth (aged 11–18) were recruited from a community center for integrated prevention and intervention services in a predominantly Latinx and Hispanic community. Youth completed questionnaires about the impact COVID-19 has had on their lives, psychosocial resources (humor, optimism, emotion regulation, social support), and psychiatric symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, sleep disturbances, aggression). After accounting for age, sex, and exposure to early life adversity, higher reported COVID-19 impact was associated with more depressive symptoms, b = 6.37 (SE = 1.67), 95% CI [3.08, 9.66], p < 0.001, more anxiety symptoms, b = 9.97 (SE = 1.63), 95% CI [6.75, 13.18], p < 0.001, and more sleep disturbances, b = 1.24 (SE = 0.34), 95% CI [0.57, 1.91], p < 0.001.

This study contributes to description of teaching changes resulting from COVID-19 epidemic. It focuses on online teaching of practical exercises in science subjects from pupils’ and teachers’ perspectives. Views on the distance learning of practical exercises were obtained from Czech lower-secondary school pupils (n=543) and science teachers (n=24). Most teachers conducted science practicum classes using a combination of synchronous and asynchronous methods and rated support from school management as rather adequate. Teachers assigned fewer hands-on activities, specifically experiments, observations, and activities resulting in a product, in distance teaching than in face-to-face lessons, although they rated them as the most useful. Pupils found experimentation and observation to be the most interesting and useful, followed by activities that result in a product (e.g., herbarium). Pupils generally preferred the present form of practical activities.

This article seeks to review the current knowledge of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the health effects for children and youth with special health care needs (CYSHCN). COVID-19, an infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), became a major pandemic in 2020. Recognition of the disease could be difficult, as symptoms in children are at times different than adults and can mimic other common childhood viral infections. Children with underlying medical conditions did make up a higher proportion of those hospitalized, but also were affected in other ways including loss of nursing support, missed education and rehabilitative services, and increased stress for themselves and their families, affecting mental health in this vulnerable population. This review seeks to address what is currently known about the overall effects on CYSHCN and their families, and identify gaps in research, including the implementation of health care systems, and possible suggestions for change in the educational and community supports for this group of individuals. Ongoing analysis of large national and international data sets, as well as smaller reports based on specific congenital anomaly, genetics disease, and acquired childhood illness, and then attention to local resources and family resilience is still necessary.

Racial reckoning is defined as the subjugation of Black, Indigenous, and people of Color (BIPOC) to racial hierarchies and subordinate groups that influence multiple well-being outcomes throughout the developmental lifespan and across generations. With the two pandemics of racial reckoning and COVID-19 amidst a growing controversial political landscape, topics around civic engagement have been brought to the forefront of community conversation. Discussions surrounding civic engagement must go beyond addressing issues of public concern and examine the vehicle in which civic engagement may be delivered. This is becoming increasingly important as civic engagement is one of the main avenues of social change through individual and collective action, particularly regarding racial reckoning and healthcare disparities highlighted by COVID-19. The paper focuses on civic engagement among ethnic minority youth and young adults. An integrated model of civic engagement was created based off what was learned through this review. This proposed model of civic engagement is meant to be the first step to addressing the gap in civic engagement literature for ethnic minority youth. Weaknesses and future considerations regarding the model will also be discussed, as well as any implications for ethnic minority youth and young adults.