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Children and COVID-19 Research Library

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

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16 - 30 of 2543
Italian children's accounts of the lockdown: insights and perspectives

AUTHOR(S)
Michele Capurso; Tiziana Pedale; Valerio Santangelo (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of Child and Family Studies volume
COVID-19 lockdown-imposed restrictions emerged as a risk to children’s well-being. However, the extant literature often ignored children’s experiences, emotions, struggles, hopes, and expectations. Based on a large sample of Italian students (N = 906; mean age = 9.4 years, 48.8% female), this study drews data from a post-lockdown school re-entry program where students completed narrative activities in 2020. These narratives underwent quantitative content analysis according to gender and school level.
Children and adolescents' positive youth development qualities and internet addiction during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal study in China

AUTHOR(S)
Zhuo Wang; Binxue Hong; Yanyan Zhang (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Frontiers in Psychiatry

Recent studies have shown that the qualities of children and adolescents’ positive youth development (PYD) enable them to cope with developmental challenges in an adaptive manner and maintain healthy functioning. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still a lack of reporting on changes in children and adolescents’ PYD qualities and Internet addiction and their relationship. This study investigated the association between PYD qualities and Internet addiction among the children and adolescents who have experienced the COVID-19 lockdown. A school-based cohort survey was launched in December 2019 (Wave 1, before COVID-19 lockdown) and followed up in June 2020 (Wave 2, after COVID-19 lockdown). The Chinese PYD scale (80 items, scoring 80–480) and Young’s Internet addiction test (20 items, scoring 20–100) were used to evaluate the children and adolescents’ PYD qualities and the degree of their Internet addiction, respectively. Cross-sectional regressions, longitudinal regressions, and cross-lagged panel model were used to examine the association between PYD qualities and Internet addiction.

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic: pan-Canadian perspectives from parents and caregivers of youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities

AUTHOR(S)
Ash Seth; Brittany Finlay; Genevieve Currie (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of Pediatric Health Care
The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges for youth with neurodevelopmental disabilities (NDD) and their families. Although health measures were implemented to contain the COVID-19 virus, they disrupted public service, profoundly impacting youth and their families’ access to services. This study sought to better understand the perspectives and experiences of parents and caregivers of youth with NDD across Canada in accessing services and their mental health needs during the pandemic. The study used a qualitative research design in which 40 parents and caregivers across Canada were interviewed.
Inequalities in children's mental health care: analysis of routinely collected data on prescribing and referrals to secondary care

AUTHOR(S)
William P. Ball; Corri Black; Sharon Gordon (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: BMC Psychiatry

One in eight children in the United Kingdom are estimated to have a mental health condition, and many do not receive support or treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted mental health and disrupted the delivery of care. Prevalence of poor mental health is not evenly distributed across age groups, by sex or socioeconomic groups. Equity in access to mental health care is a policy priority but detailed socio-demographic trends are relatively under-researched. This study analysed records for all mental health prescriptions and referrals to specialist mental health outpatient care between the years of 2015 and 2021 for children aged 2 to 17 years in a single NHS Scotland health board region. It analysed trends in prescribing, referrals, and acceptance to out-patient treatment over time, and measured differences in treatment and service use rates by age, sex, and area deprivation.

Social media use as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multidimensional perspective on adolescents' well-being

AUTHOR(S)
Alexandra Maftei; Ioan-Alex Merlici; Oana D˘anil˘a

Published: January 2023   Journal: Frontiers in Public Health

Social media use was previously characterized as both a maladaptive coping mechanism, and a source of engagement with peers, suggesting an ambivalent effect. The present study explored how adolescents might use social media as a coping mechanism during the COVID-19 pandemic, using a multidimensional perspective on well-being. Its sample consisted of 259 Romanian teenagers aged 11–16 (M = 13.38, SD = 0.93, 57% males). It investigated the potential indirect effect of social media use, i.e., its cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions on the relationship between depressive symptoms and adolescents' well-being.

Pandemic isolation and mental health among children

AUTHOR(S)
Donald E. Brannen; Sheryl Wynn; Jaime Shuster (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness
Mental health issues increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially among children. Our past research efforts found that surveillance data can address a variety of health concerns; that personal psychological awareness impacted ability to cope, and mental health outcomes were improved when survivors were triaged to mental health countermeasures. To build upon our public health efforts this study wanted to see if increased screen time due to remote learning caused by the pandemic influenced school aged children’s mental health.
Effects of a parenting intervention for emotional and behavioral problems in young autistic children under conditions of enhanced uncertainty: two-year follow-up of a pilot randomized controlled trial cohort (ASTAR) during the United Kingdom COVID-19

AUTHOR(S)
Melanie Palmer; Virginia Carter Leno; Victoria Hallett (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Most young autistic children display emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs). There is evidence that behavioral parenting interventions (BPIs) reduce these. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns can be seen as a natural experiment to test the longer-term effect of BPIs under conditions of increased uncertainty. Opportunistic follow-up (n = 49) of a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) cohort (n = 62 autistic children aged 6-11 years; originally randomized to a 12-week group BPI [Predictive Parenting; n = 31] or an attention control [Psychoeducation; n = 31]) was conducted during COVID-19−related lockdowns. Measures of parent-reported child irritability and parenting stress were collected at 3 time points (baseline: mean age = 6.7 years; primary endpoint: mean age = 7.1 years, ∼5 months after randomization; and COVID-19 follow-up: mean age = 8.8 years, ∼2 years after randomization). We tested the magnitude of intervention effects using point estimates of differences in child irritability and parenting stress between arms at primary endpoint and COVID-19 follow-up, covarying for baseline scores. We used area under the curve (AUC) analyses to obtain overall estimates of the average intervention effect across all 3 timepoints. Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with a subsample of parents (n = 18).
Anxiety, COVID-19 risk, and LGBTQ+ youth's participation in an affirming summer camp

AUTHOR(S)
Traci K. Gillig; Alicia Booth; Leticia Couto

Published: January 2023   Journal: Journal of LGBT Youth
Rising levels of generalized anxiety among LGBTQ+ youth during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic suggest a need for understanding effective interventions for reducing anxiety, as well as factors influencing youth’s risk perceptions and trust pertaining to mental health-focused programming. The current survey-based study captures generalized anxiety, COVID-19 risk perceptions, and trust in a camp organization among 181 youth ages 12 to 18 who participated in an overnight camp for young LGBTQ+ people.
Factors associated with changes in e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking by adolescents and young people in Nigeria during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan; Omolola T. Alade; Heba Sabbagh (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Psychoactives
This study aimed to assess the proportion of adolescents and young people (AYP) in Nigeria who changed their frequency of e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic; and factors associated with the increase, decrease or no change in e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking (including night smoking). This study was a cross-sectional study of AYP recruited from all geopolitical zones in the country. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine if respondents’ health HIV and COVID-19 status and anxiety levels were associated with changes in e-cigarette use and tobacco smoking frequency.
Understanding the impact of home confinement on children and young people with ADHD and ASD during the COVID-19 pandemic

AUTHOR(S)
Charlotte L. Hall; Christopher Partlett; Althea Z. Valentine (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Child Psychiatry & Human Development
To understand whether the mental health of children and young people (CYP) with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and/or autism spectrum disorder (ASD) were differentially affected by COVID-19. This study analysed data (n = 6507) from the Co-Space study, a UK web-based longitudinal survey. CYP with ADHD (n = 160;2.5%), ASD (n = 465;7%), and ADHD + ASD (n = 155;2.4%) were compared with a reference group (n = 5727;88%) using parent-completed questionnaires [Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) & Pandemic Anxiety Scale (PAS)]. Baseline to 1-month follow-up differences were compared using linear regression models.
LGBTQ2S+ youth perspectives on mental healthcare provider bias, standards of care, and accountability

AUTHOR(S)
Michael Chaiton; Rachel Thorburn; Megan Sutton (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Youth
This study explores the experiences of LGBTQ2S+ youth while accessing mental health and substance use care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through a series of facilitated virtual meetings, 33 LGBTQ2S+ youth from across Ontario participated in collaborative activities to identify barriers they have experienced when accessing mental health services, as well as potential solutions to these barriers. Discussions were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis.
Family functioning buffers the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children's quality of life and loneliness

AUTHOR(S)
Micah A. Skeens; Kylie Hill; Anna Olsavsky (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Frontiers in Psychology
COVID-19 resulted in mass quarantine measures early in the pandemic. This disruption of daily life widened inequities and made children one of the most vulnerable populations during the crisis. This national, cross-sectional “COVID-Kids” study collected data from almost 500 parent–child dyads using standardized measures to better understand the effects of COVID exposure and impact on children’s quality of life and loneliness. Data were collected via social media from May to July 2020. According to parent proxy and child self-report, United States children experienced worse quality of life (p < 0.0001; d = 0.45 and 0.53) and greater child-reported loneliness (p < 0.0001) when compared to normative, healthy samples (i.e., children who do not have a chronic medical condition). Older children (r = 0.16, p = 0.001) and female children (r = 0.11, p = 0.02) reported greater loneliness. Higher child-reported family functioning scores were associated with better quality of life (r = 0.36, p < 0.0001) and less loneliness (r = −0.49, p < 0.0001). Moderated mediation analyses indicated the indirect effect of parent COVID impact on the association between COVID exposure and child quality of life was weaker in the context of better family functioning.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on perinatal services and maternal mental health in the UK

AUTHOR(S)
Lorraine S. Kasaven; Isabel Raynaud; Maria Jalmbrant (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: BJPsych Open

COVID-19 has created many challenges for women in the perinatal phase. This stems from prolonged periods of lockdowns, restricted support networks and media panic, alongside altered healthcare provision. This study aimed to review the evidence regarding the psychological impact on new and expecting mothers following changes to antenatal and postnatal service provision within the UK throughout the pandemic. It conducted a narrative literature search of major databases (PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar). The literature was critically reviewed by experts within the field of antenatal and perinatal mental health.

Relations between maternal panic over COVID-19 and children's depressive symptoms: the moderating role of children's daily routines

AUTHOR(S)
Muzi Yuan; Xiaohua Bian; Junsheng Liu (et al.)

Published: January 2023   Journal: Current Psychology
The sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and consequent quarantine policies have substantially altered family lives worldwide. Potential associations between parental negative emotional expressions towards the pandemic, family factors, and child psychological adjustment remain under-explored. Accordingly, the goal of the present study was to examine the relation between maternal panic over COVID-19 and children’s depressive symptoms, with a focus on the potential moderating role of children’s daily routines during a period of strict quarantine. Participants were N = 1,589 children (Mage = 13.13 years, SD = 1.54; 50.7% girls) and their mothers, from Zhengzhou, Henan Province, in Mainland China. Data were collected in April of 2020, when school closure policies were in effect. Mothers reported their panic over COVID-19 and children reported their depressive symptoms and daily routines during the quarantine period.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents: an opportunity to build resilient systems

AUTHOR(S)
Erum Nadeem; Anna R. Van Meter

Published: January 2023   Journal: American Journal of Health Promotion
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents is significant. Educational progress and mental health, in particular, have been negatively affected. Among youth from vulnerable communities, pre-existing academic and health disparities have been exacerbated. Youth outcomes are often attributed to individual resilience – or lack thereof; this paper describes how failure to adapt and effectively cope at the system level (ie, lack of system resilience) is implicated in the current dual educational and mental crisis. It describes opportunities to make our systems more nimble and better-equipped to support youth moving forward.
16 - 30 of 2543

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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.