The COVID-19 pandemic has had a wide range of effects on the mental health of children, including an increase in anxiety and depression. Certain factors, such as access to social support, were shown to be helpful.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption to many people’s lives, including effects on mental health. Children and adolescents may be more sensitive to mental health impacts as a result of their vulnerable developmental stage. Fear of infection, confinement and the disruption of their usual activities can have widespread effects.
A recent article published in the journal Child and Adolescent Mental Health reviewed evidence of the pandemic’s impact on the mental health of children under 19 years of age to identify factors that may enhance or protect against negative mental health outcomes.
This article relied on a literature review of articles from January 1, 2020 to February 22, 2021. The authors included studies that collected primary data relating to mental health effects on children and used the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine rating scheme to evaluate the strength of the articles.
Many findings were noted, including a prevalence of COVID-19-related fears among children and a higher rate of depression and anxiety when compared to pre-pandemic estimates. Numerous studies reported that mental health deteriorated among children due to COVID-19 pandemic control measures. Factors that contributed to worse mental health results included adolescent age, female gender, neurodiversity, and chronic physical health conditions. Access to entertainment, exercise, familial relationships, and social support were all associated with better mental outcomes.
The authors conclude by noting the urgent need for both policymakers and healthcare providers to be aware of and sensitive to the mental health needs of children and adolescents regarding potential mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those in higher-risk subgroups.
Reference:
Samji, H., Wu, J., Ladak, A., Vossen, C., Stewart, E., Dove, N., . . . Snell, G. (2022). Review: Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth – a systematic review. Child Adolesc Ment Health, 27(2), 173-189. doi: 10.1111/camh.12501
