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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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Accessibility of child protection investigations during pandemic: a qualitative analysis of court proceedings

AUTHOR(S)
Munazza Tahir; Virginie Cobigo

Published: December 2022   Journal: Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities

Qualitative research using published court records to examine contextual factors that contribute to child protection decisions in cases involving parents with intellectual disabilities is limited, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study conducted qualitative content analysis on 10 published Ontario court cases to study child protection decision-making between 2019 and 2021.

Association between smartphone overdependency and mental health in Korean adolescents during the COVID pandemic; age-and gender-matched study

AUTHOR(S)
Na-Hye Kim; Jae-Moo Lee; Seo-Hyung Yang (et al.)

Published: December 2022   Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

This study aimed to examine the relationship between smartphone dependency (SD) and mental health (MH) in adolescents in order to develop and implement plans pertaining to SD control. Raw data from the 16th Online Adolescent Health Behavior Survey in 2020 were analyzed. A total of 482 respondents were selected as study subjects based on their experience of smartphone overdependence (SO), specifically, 241 participants whose score for SO was 37 or higher (Group 2) and age- and gender-matched 241 participants whose score was lower than 10 (Group 1).

Mental health of hothers of preschoolers amid the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a cross-sectional study

AUTHOR(S)
Tomoko Sumiyoshi; Yukiko Satoh; Mio Tanaka

Published: December 2022   Journal: The Open Public Health Journal

The COVID-19 pandemic and the government’s emergency declarations in Japan may have influenced people’s mental health. In particular, among women, there are concerns about the occurrence of neuroses, such as depression and anxiety. This study aimed to identify the factors related to mental distress among women in Japan who were raising children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted in 2020 among 730 Japanese women raising preschoolers. The survey included questions about child-rearing, anxiety, and the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The average age of the respondents was 34.4 years (21–52 years), and 31.5% of the respondents were living in “Prefectures under Specific Cautions” areas.

Impact of online education on mental health of matriculating adolescents during COVID-19 pandemic in Western India

AUTHOR(S)
Priya Kulkarni; Gajanan Velhal

Published: September 2022   Journal: International Journal of Health Sciences
School closures during COVID-19-Pandemic introduced online teaching- learning in low-&middle-income-countries (LMIC). This study aimed to assess its impact on mental health (MH) of adolescents in India studying for matriculation. A cross sectional study was carried out in Maharashtra, India in 2021. MH of matriculating adolescents was assessed by presence of symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress (DAS) using DASS-42 and emotional intelligence (EI) by Schutte’s self-report EI test (SET) with collection of socio-demographic information maintaining confidentiality.
COVID-19 among Chinese high school graduates: Psychological distress, growth, meaning in life and resilience

AUTHOR(S)
Yongju Yu; Yongjuan Yu; Jiangxia Hu

Published: April 2022   Journal: Journal of Health Psychology
This study examined perceived impact of COVID-19 (PIC) on mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic growth) and roles of resilience and meaning in life. In October 2020, 430 Chinese high school graduates completed self-report measures. Results showed that 4.4% and 5.8% participants had anxiety and depression symptoms (⩾10), respectively, while 13.3% developed posttraumatic growth (⩾37.5). Resilience and meaning in life mediated the relationships between PIC and mental health outcomes. These findings underline psychological distress and growth coexisted in COVID-19, while resilience and meaning in life served as important protective factors of mental health.
Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of school-going adolescents: insights from Dhaka city, Bangladesh

AUTHOR(S)
Ridwan Islam Sifat; Maisaa Mehzabin Ruponty; Md. Kawser Rahim Shuvo (et al.)

Published: April 2022   Journal: Heliyon
The pandemic has affected every walk of life, and mental health is no exception. Bangladesh has been operating under a resource crisis, and this crisis has incurred and is incurring a governance priority dilemma. Unending vacations of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental serenity, and among those, adolescents are more vulnerable. Unending leaves of the educational institutions are taxing our students' mental peace, and among those, adolescents are more susceptible. Across the globe, a good number of studies have been performed, and Bangladesh is no exception. However, adolescents have received less attention in those studies, and this paper fills the gap. This explorative study opted for a qualitative method that covered data collection like in-depth interviews among 60 respondents. This study aims to simultaneously unveil the causes of mental dissonance among adolescents and the impact of infection prevention measures (e.g., lockdown) on adolescents' mental health in the capital city of Bangladesh.
COVID-19 distress impacts adolescents’ depressive symptoms, NSSI, and suicide risk in the rural, Northeast US

AUTHOR(S)
Rebecca A. Schwartz-Mette; Natasha Duell; Hannah R. Lawrence (et al.)

Published: March 2022   Journal: Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology
Widespread concern exists about the impacts of COVID-19 and related public health safety measures (e.g., school closures) on adolescent mental health. Emerging research documents correlates and trajectories of adolescent distress, but further work is needed to identify additional vulnerability factors that explain increased psychopathology during the pandemic. The current study examined whether COVID-19-related loneliness and health anxiety (assessed in March 2020) predicted increased depressive symptoms, frequency of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicide risk from pre-pandemic (late January/early February 2020) to June 2020.
“We need to address the trauma”: school social workers′ views about student and staff mental health during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Kate R. Watson; Gordon Capp; Ron Avi Astor (et al.)

Published: February 2022   Journal: School Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent school disruptions shined a spotlight on the mental health needs of young people, and the importance of schools and school social workers (SSWs) in attending to those needs. This study sought to understand SSWs’ views about mental health and trauma in relation to the pandemic and schools reopening. Data came from written responses to open-ended questions on a national survey of SSWs during June–July 2020 (Kelly et al., 2021; Watson et al., 2022). In the national survey, 450 SSWs responded to open-ended questions, providing 115 single-spaced pages of detailed qualitative comments. A unified conceptual model for a trauma-informed school was created by integrating components suggested within the literature. This conceptual model was then used to generate a theory-based coding schema.
The prevalence and correlates of peripartum depression in different stages of pregnancy during COVID-19 pandemic in China

AUTHOR(S)
Manji Hu; Yongjie Zhou; Mei Xue (et al.)

Published: February 2022   Journal: BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth

Peripartum depression in and after pregnancy are common, reported by 11.9% of women worldwide, and the proportion was even higher during the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and risk factors of peripartum depression under the influence of COVID-19 in China. Using a cross-sectional design, 2026 pregnant and postpartum women residing in Beijing, Wuhan, and Lanzhou of China were recruited from February 28 to April 9, 2020. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 was used to assess their depressive symptoms. The women were divided into four subgroups based on pregnancy stage, and a binary logistic regression analysis was conducted on each subgroup.

A longitudinal study of adolescents’ pornography use frequency, motivations, and problematic use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Beáta Bőthe; Marie-Pier Vaillancourt-Morel; Jacinthe Dion (et al.)

Published: January 2022   Journal: Archives of Sexual Behavior
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in pornography use has been reported based on cross-sectional findings, raising concerns about associated adverse outcomes, such as problematic pornography use (PPU). The aims of the present study were to document potential changes in adolescents’ pornography use frequency, motivations, and PPU before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of an ongoing study on adolescents’ sexual health, we used a large sample (NTime 1 = 1771; 47.6% girls, Mage = 15.42 years, SD = 0.59) to examine changes from baseline (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to one year later (during the COVID-19 pandemic) in adolescents’ self-reported pornography use frequency, motivations, and PPU, using latent change models and examining potential gender differences.
Socio-emotional struggles of young children during COVID-19 pandemic: social isolation and increased use of technologies

AUTHOR(S)
Raden Pasifikus Christa Wijaya; Beatriks Novianti Bunga; Indra Yohanes Kiling (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Journal of Early Childhood Research
COVID-19 pandemic has caused young children to be isolated from their neighborhood only interacting with people living under the same roof as them, to avoid spreading the virus. Limited social interaction might have affected young children’s social and emotional development. This study aimed to explore the socio-emotional struggles of young children during the pandemic. Participants in the study were 12 mothers of young children living in West Timor, Indonesia. Data were obtained using the photovoice method. Thematic analysis resulted in four main themes, which are increased use of technologies, lack of social interaction, parents’ concerns, and boredom and increased need for stimuli.
Quality of life, needs and fears of mothers of children with disabilities in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 lockdown

AUTHOR(S)
Nisreen Al Awaji; Monira ldhahi; Shahnaz Akil (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Substantial changes in life dynamics resulting from the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could have an impact on the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of children with and without disabilities. This study compared the quality of life (QoL) of mothers of children with disabilities (MCD) to the QoL of mothers of children without disabilities (CON) in Saudi Arabia during COVID-19 lockdown. It explored mothers’ concerns and the type of support they need during the quarantine. A comparative cross-sectional study was conducted during the lockdown. An online questionnaire was distributed to mothers raising children with and without disabilities in Saudi Arabia. A total of 340 mothers participated in the study by completing the survey: 93 MCD and 247 CON. The QoL of MCD and CON was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF questionnaire. Furthermore, detailed information was provided by the mothers regarding their needs and concerns during the lockdown.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety of adolescents in Québec

AUTHOR(S)
Julie Lane; Danyka Therriault; Audrey Dupuis (et al.)

Published: October 2021   Journal: Child & Youth Care Forum

Several studies conducted since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic have shown its harmful effects on young people’s mental health. In Québec and Canada, few studies have focussed on adolescents, and even fewer of these studies have examined this subject using a methodology that involved comparisons of data obtained before and during the pandemic, which is the purpose of this study. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety of secondary 1 and 2 students in Québec, using data obtained before and during the pandemic. Participants were 2990 French Canadian students in secondary 1 (grade 7) and secondary 2 (grade 8) in Québec. Two independent samples completed the questionnaires, one sample before the pandemic (fall 2019) and one sample during the pandemic (fall 2020). Their answers were subjected to descriptive analysis and multivariate analysis of variance.

Rapid Review Protocol - Life in Lockdown: Child and adolescent mental health and well-being in the time of COVID-19

While there has been a global rush to generate rapid evidence on COVID-19 mental health impacts among adults, limited evidence exists on the potential impacts on children.

This is the protocol for our rapid review that seeks to (i) understand the immediate impact of COVID-19’s first wave on the mental health of children and adolescents (0–19 years); and (ii) apply lessons learned from this pandemic to mitigate the impacts of future health crises.

The key research questions of this review are: 

  • What has been the immediate impact of COVID-19 and associated containment measures on the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents?
  • How and which risk and protective factors have affected mental health during COVID-19 and have they varied across subgroups of children and adolescents?

Mind Matters: Lessons from past crises for child and adolescent mental health during COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Lorraine Sherr; Lucie Cluver; Mark Tomlinson; Priscilla Idele; Prerna Banati; David Anthony; Kathryn Roberts; Katharina Haag; Xanthe Hunt

COVID-19 is a crisis like no other in modern times. It has reached every population and community. While the evidence base is still nascent, this report looks at the impacts of disasters and past epidemics – such as Ebola, HIV, SARS/MERS and Zika – on child and adolescent mental health and psychosocial wellbeing, and examines how these insights can guide policies and progammes to support children, their families and communities during the current pandemic.

COVID-19 – its associated public health responses and social and economic impacts – is likely to have multiple deleterious effects on mental health, including elevated risks of anxiety and depression, trauma, loss of family and friends, violence, loneliness and social isolation. However, this pandemic also offers opportunities for positive coping and resilience.

While there is no magic formula to address the mental health and psychosocial impacts of crises, there are proven and promising interventions from past experiences to mitigate the impact today – especially for the most vulnerable children and adolescents. These include social protection, caregiver skills and support, community and social support, life skills and school based programmes, and specialized care, to name a few.



Cite this research | No. of pages: 70 | Language: English | Topics: Mental Health | Tags: mental health | Publisher: UNICEF Office of Research - Innocenti
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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.