Burden of Anxiety and Electronic Screen Syndrome in children during COVID-19 quarantine

Abstract

Background: Quarantine is a state of enforced isolation of people with exposure to a contagious disease to prevent the spread of illness. Quarantine and isolation have been used as disease containment measures more recently in COVID-19, in this review we aimed to present the impact of quarantine on mental health of children and adolescents, and proposes measures to improve psychological outcomes of isolation, Summary: Overall, this review suggests that quarantine is associated with far reaching and significant negative impact on psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents. Of more concern is the finding that this negative psychological effect can still be detected months or years later. Stigma has also been rife in children and families who underwent quarantine. As quarantine is essential to contain diseases in many cases, it is important that steps and measures are taken to make this experience less traumatic for vulnerable young people. These strategies may ensure that the physical and mental health impact of quarantine on children and adolescents are kept minimal. Further research to examine long term impact of quarantine and prolonged school closures on children are urgently needed to guide policies.