Abstract
School closure due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pushed children across ages and nationalities into a state of mental health crisis. In Japan, children between the ages of 6 and 18 were ordered to stay at home and observe social distancing for several months. This study is aimed at investigating the effects of quarantine due to COVID-19 on children belonging to different developmental stages in life. Data were collected from mothers of typically developing children aged between 6 and 18 years. The differences in psychological and behavioral changes following school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic were explored. A total of 535 children, including 145 students in lower grades of elementary school (6–9 years), 124 students in higher grades of elementary school (9–12 years), 132 students in junior high school (12–15 years), and 134 students in high school (15–18 years), were recruited. Children in lower grades of elementary school (lower grades group) gained significantly lower understanding about COVID-19 and the necessity of COVID-19 restrictions than children in the other groups. Moreover, they had more psychological problems: they easily cried and complained, were unable to keep calm, and were dependent on parents and family members. Changes in sleep patterns were more prevalent in junior and senior high school students. We concluded that mental health care should be provided based on the growth period of each child not only during school closure but also after school reopening.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been affecting substantial life events worldwide
In Japan, elementary, junior high, and senior high school closures began on March 3, 2020, and a public health emergency of international concern was declared on April 7 by the Japanese government
We investigated the differences in the effects of long-term school closure during the COVID-19 pandemic in 535 children categorized based on level of schooling
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been affecting substantial life events worldwide. On January 30, 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization. Measures such as hand hygiene, wearing face masks, eye protection, and maintaining person-to-person physical distance, were recommended [1]. In Japan, elementary, junior high, and senior high school closures began on March 3, 2020, and a public health emergency of international concern was declared on April 7 by the Japanese government. Adults and children in Japan were ordered to stay at home and observe social distancing [3]. School closure may have influenced Japanese children and adolescents differently based on their developmental stage
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