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Background: Mental health and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in children and adolescents deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this population-based longitudinal study was to explore whether distinct mental health trajectories in youths can be identified over the course of the pandemic. Methods: Mental health problems (MHP), psychosomatic symptoms and HRQoL were assessed at five time points between May 2020 and October 2022 in 744 children and adolescents aged 7 to 20 years using established instruments. We used generalized mixture modeling to identify distinct mental health trajectories and fixed-effects regressions to analyse covariates of the identified profiles of change. Results: We found five distinct linear latent trajectory classes each for externalising MHP and psychosomatic symptoms and four trajectory classes for internalising MHP. For HRQoL, a single-class solution that indicates a common development process proved to be optimal. The largest groups remained almost stable at a low internalising and externalising symptom level (64 to 74%) and consistently showed moderate psychosomatic symptoms (79%), while 2 to 18% showed improvements across the pandemic. About 10% of the youths had consistently high internalising problems, while externalising problems deteriorated in 18% of youths. Class membership was significantly associated with initial HRQoL, parental and child burden, personal resources, family climate and social support. Conclusions: The mental health of most children and adolescents remained resilient throughout the pandemic. However, a sizeable number of youths had consistently poor or deteriorating mental health. Those children and adolescents need special attention in schools and mental health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disordered eating is highly prevalent among children and adolescents. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitalizations due to eating disorders have peaked and overweight has risen. The aim of this study was to determine differences in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms among children and adolescents in Germany before and after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and to identify associated factors. Materials and methods: Eating disorder symptoms and associated factors were examined in a sample of n = 1,001 participants of the nationwide population-based COPSY study in autumn 2021. Standardized and validated instruments were used to survey 11-17-year-olds along with a respective parent. To identify differences in prevalence rates, logistic regression was used to compare results with data from n = 997 participants of the prepandemic BELLA study. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to examine associations with relevant factors in the pandemic COPSY sample. Results: Eating disorder symptoms were reported by 17.18% of females and 15.08% of males in the COPSY study. Prevalence rates were lower overall in the COPSY sample compared to before the pandemic. Male gender, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were associated with increased odds for eating disorder symptoms in the pandemic. Conclusion: The pandemic underscores the importance of further research, but also prevention and intervention programs that address disordered eating in children and adolescents, with a focus on age - and gender-specific differences and developments. In addition, screening instruments for eating disorder symptoms in youths need to be adapted and validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying containment measures created major changes to everyone's daily life that had an impact on mental health and psychological burden., Methods: In five surveys of the COPSY study more than 1,500 parents of 7- to 17-year-olds and their children between the ages of 11 and 17 were interviewed using established mental health assessment tools and a self-developed item on the experience of mental burden. Pre-pandemic comparative data were drawn from the representative BELLA study (BEfragung zum seeLischen Wohbefinden und VerhAlten)., Results: The majority of children and adolescents as well as their parents in Germany felt stressed by the pandemic between 2020 and 2022. There was an increase in both mental health problems and symptoms of anxiety and depression at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the second nationwide lockdown. A slight decrease in the subjective experience of psychological burden and mental health problems among children and their parents was observed in the fall of 2022. However, the prevalence of mental health problems and anxiety remained above pre-pandemic levels., Discussion: The results illustrate the difficult situation of many children, adolescents and parents, even after 3 years of pandemic. Low-threshold counseling and support services as well as more therapy places and professional support services should be made available., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier GmbH.)

Background: Continuous nationwide health monitoring is important to track the well-being of children and adolescents and to map developmental trajectories. Based on the results of three selected epidemiological studies, developments in child well-being over the past 20 years are presented., Methods: Data are based on (1) the mental health module of the German National Health Interview and Examination Survey among Children and Adolescents (BELLA study, 2003-2017, N = 1500 to 3000), which is a module of the KiGGS study; (2) the COvid-19 and PSYchological Health Study (COPSY, 2020-2022, N = 1600-1700), which is based on the BELLA Study; and (3) the International Health-Behaviour in School-aged Children Study (HBSC, 2002-2018, N = 4300-7300). Well-being was assessed in 7‑ to 17-year-olds using indicators of health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10), life satisfaction (Cantril Ladder), and mental health problems (Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED), and Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale for Children (CES-DC))., Results: Overall, children and adolescents show consistently high health-related quality of life and high overall life satisfaction pre-pandemic (2002-2018), which initially worsened with the onset of the 2020 COVID-19-pandemic. Two years later, improvements are evident but have not yet reached baseline levels. Psychological problems, as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression, increased by up to 12 percentage points at the beginning of the pandemic and are still higher two years after the onset of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic studies., Conclusion: The epidemiology of child well-being provides a necessary data basis to assess the support needs of children and adolescents and to use this as a basis for developing measures of health promotion, prevention, and intervention., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the learning and health of children and adolescents. The aim of this paper is to examine school students' mental health problems, family burden, and support needs during the pandemic depending on the type of school. Approaches to school-based prevention and health promotion are discussed., Methods: Findings are based on data from the population-based COPSY study (T1: 05/2020 - T4: 02/2022) and the BELLA study (T0, pre-pandemic comparison). Approximately 1600 families with children aged 7 to 19 years were surveyed at each measurement point (T). Mental health problems were assessed using the SDQ, while family burden and support needs were captured with individual items in the parent report., Results: Mental health problems increased among students in all school types at the beginning of the pandemic and have stabilized at a high level. Elementary school students are particularly affected (increase from 16.9% pre-pandemic to 40.0% at T2), especially in behavioral problems (11.7% to 24.6%) and hyperactivity (13.9% to 34.0%). Secondary school students also show higher levels of mental health problems (21.4% to 30.4%). Pandemic-related burden is consistently high, as is the need for family support received from schools/teachers and experts., Discussion: There is a high need for mental health promotion and prevention measures in the school setting. These should start at primary school age in the sense of a "whole school approach" at different levels and include external stakeholders. In addition, binding legal requirements are needed in all federal states to create framework conditions and structures for school-based health promotion and prevention, including access to necessary resources., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The drastic changes during the COVID-19 pandemic may have a negative impact on the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents., Objectives: COPSY is the first national, representative German study to examine mental health and quality of life of children and adolescents during the pandemic. Results are compared with data of the representative longitudinal BELLA study conducted before the pandemic., Materials and Methods: Internationally established instruments for measuring health-related quality of life and mental health (including anxiety and depressive symptoms) were administered to n = 1586 parents with 7‑ to 17-year-old children and adolescents, of whom n = 1040 11- to 17-year-olds also provided self-reports, from 26 May to 10 June 2020. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and bivariate tests., Results: Seventy-one percent of the children and adolescents and 75% of the parents felt burdened by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Compared to the time before the pandemic, the children and adolescents reported a lower health-related quality of life, the percentage of children and adolescents with mental health problems almost doubled, and their health behavior worsened. Socially disadvantaged children felt particularly burdened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Two-thirds of the parents would like to receive support in coping with their child during the pandemic., Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic poses a mental health risk to children and adolescents. Schools, doctors, and society are called to react by providing low-threshold and target-group-specific prevention and mental health promotion programs., (© 2021. The Author(s).)