51.22 USING TELEPHONIC FOLLOW-UP TO ASSESS ADOLESCENT FUNCTIONING DURING THE COVID-19 SHUTDOWN IN HENAN, CHINA

Abstract

Strict quarantine measures were placed throughout China to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We anticipated that the ongoing restrictions in mobility and daily activities would lead to interpersonal conflicts in families, especially between children and those parents who worked away from home year-round. By using telephonic follow-up, we aimed to assess the impact of the outbreak on the patients’ daily functioning and to reduce relapse rates. The Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents (HoNOSCA) and the Children’s Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) were administered to families of adolescents with recent mental health admissions at a participating hospital in Henan province, China. Interviews were conducted telephonically at 3 time points during the 3-month lockdown. Paired and unpaired t tests were employed to compare the functionality of children whose parents worked locally and lived with their children (G1) vs those whose parents worked outside the province and do not live in the home (G2). The study cohort consists of 48 adolescent patients in G1 and 93 patients in G2. The re-hospitalization rate was 2.2% compared to 4.5% in 2019 during the same period. CGAS total scores did not show group differences at each of the time points. There were significant changes in emotional difficulty subscores of HoNOSCA between the 2 time points, T1-T3 (p = 0.006) and T2-T3 (p < 0.0001), in group G2. The parent-child conflict scores in G2 between T1-T2 (p < 0.001) and T2-T3 (p = 0.007) were different significantly. On the other hand, group G1 did not experience significant emotional difficulty, but their online learning behavior deteriorated over time, at T1-T2 (p < 0.0001) and T2-T3 (p < 0.0001). Intergroup differences were seen in learning difficulties at T1 between the G1 and G2 groups (p = 0.016). In China, this is the first study providing telephonic intervention to a population of discharged adolescent patients who have no access to follow-up clinic visits. We found a significant change in adolescent emotional control, parent-child conflict, and online learning compliance in those adolescents whose parents left for work outside the province during the extended quarantine. This study can provide reference for future studies on COVID-19–related adolescent mental health.