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Vulnerability and resilience in children during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Source :
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry; Jan2022, Vol. 31 Issue 1, p161-176, 16p, 12 Charts
- Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is having a profound impact on the health and development of children worldwide. There is limited evidence on the impact of COVID-19 and its related school closures and disease-containment measures on the psychosocial wellbeing of children; little research has been done on the characteristics of vulnerable groups and factors that promote resilience. Methods: We conducted a large-scale cross-sectional population study of Hong Kong families with children aged 2–12 years. Parents completed an online survey on family demographics, child psychosocial wellbeing, functioning and lifestyle habits, parent–child interactions, and parental stress during school closures due to COVID-19. We used simple and multiple linear regression analyses to explore factors associated with child psychosocial problems and parental stress during the pandemic. Results: The study included 29,202 individual families; of which 12,163 had children aged 2–5 years and 17,029 had children aged 6–12 years. The risk of child psychosocial problems was higher in children with special educational needs, and/or acute or chronic disease, mothers with mental illness, single-parent families, and low-income families. Delayed bedtime and/or inadequate sleep or exercise duration, extended use of electronic devices were associated with significantly higher parental stress and more psychosocial problems among pre-schoolers. Conclusions: This study identifies vulnerable groups of children and highlights the importance of strengthening family coherence, adequate sleep and exercise, and responsible use of electronic devices in promoting psychosocial wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Subjects :
- MENTAL illness prevention
MENTAL illness risk factors
WELL-being
LIFESTYLES
SPECIAL education
PSYCHOLOGICAL vulnerability
CROSS-sectional method
FUNCTIONAL status
MULTIPLE regression analysis
CHRONIC diseases
PARENTS of children with disabilities
TIME
CHILDREN of parents with disabilities
ELECTRONIC equipment
SURVEYS
SLEEP
RISK assessment
SCHOOLS
PSYCHOSOCIAL factors
EXERCISE
STAY-at-home orders
FAMILY relations
PARENT-child relationships
INFORMATION needs
POVERTY
PSYCHOLOGICAL resilience
COVID-19 pandemic
PARENTS
PSYCHOLOGICAL stress
ACUTE diseases
MENTAL illness
CHILDREN
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 10188827
- Volume :
- 31
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- Complementary Index
- Journal :
- European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 155080400
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-020-01680-8