Effects of COVID-19 Outbreak on Children's Mental Health : A Comparative Study with Children Diagnosed and Isolated from Their Parents

Background The current study aimed to compare the psychological responses of children exposed to different levels of stress during COVID-19 outbreak. Anxiety levels, negative thoughts, and quality of life of COVID-19 positive children (Child + group, n = 17), COVID-19 negative children who are isolated from their COVID-19 positive parent(s) (Parent + group, n = 59), and a control group (n = 64) were compared. Methods The participants completed a sociodemographic data form, the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED), the Children’s Negative Cognitive Errors Questionnaire (CNCEQ), and the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL). Results The statistical analysis of the data obtained from the three groups revealed that the Parent + group recorded higher SCARED and CNCEQ scores and lower PedsQL scores in comparison to the control group. No statistically significant difference was found between the Child + group scores and the control group. It was observed that high CNCEQ scores and low PedsQL scores in the Parent + group predicted an increase in the SCARED scores. Conclusions Our study indicates that isolating children from their parents during the COVID-19 outbreak negatively influences their mental health and causes an increase in their anxiety levels. In addition, the results of the study highlight that preventive mental health measures should be applied for children separated from parents during pandemics.