Caregivers' mental distress and child health during the COVID-19 outbreak in Japan.

Sayaka Horiuchi,Reiji Kojima,Zentaro Yamagata,Kunio Miyake,Ryoji Shinohara,Yuka Akiyama,Tadao Ooka,Hiroshi Yokomichi,Sanae Otawa,Kenji Hashimoto

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0243702

Abstract

To clarify the physical and mental conditions of children during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and consequent social distancing in relation to the mental condition of their caregivers. This internet-based nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted between April 30 and May 13, 2020. The participants were 1,200 caregivers of children aged 3-14 years. Child health issues were categorized into "at least one" or "none" according to caregivers' perception. Caregivers' mental status was assessed using the Japanese version of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6. The association between caregivers' mental status and child health issues was analyzed using logistic regression models. Among the participants, 289 (24.1%) had moderate and 352 (29.3%) had severe mental distress and 69.8% of children in their care had health issues. The number of caregivers with mental distress was more than double that reported during the 2016 national survey. After adjusting for covariates, child health issues increased among caregivers with moderate mental distress (odds ratio 2.24, 95% confidence interval 1.59-3.16) and severe mental distress (odds ratio 3.05, 95% confidence interval 2.17-4.29) compared with caregivers with no mental distress. The results highlight parents' psychological stress during the pandemic, suggesting the need for adequate parenting support. However, our study did not consider risk factors of caregivers' mental distress such as socioeconomic background. There is an urgent need for further research to identify vulnerable populations and children's needs to develop sustainable social support programs for those affected by the outbreak.

Highlights

There are various ways in which the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent lockdown and social distancing measures have placed strain on the physical and psychological health of children and adolescents [1]
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in mental health issues in the general population owing to fear of infection, exposure to uncertain information, and stress associated with the economic recession [15, 17, 18]
The results showed a tremendous increase in mental distress among caregivers and a strong association between caregivers’ mental distress and child health issues

Summary

Introduction

There are various ways in which the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and consequent lockdown and social distancing measures have placed strain on the physical and psychological health of children and adolescents [1]. School closures have resulted in isolation of children and families, increased their stress, and increased children’s risk of maltreatment at home [1, 3, 4]. In this already unprecedented situation, parental mental health problems related to fear of infection, economic pressure, and rapid changes in lifestyle are a major cause of concern [5].

Results

Discussion

Conclusion