State of child and adolescent mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and at the beginning of the 2020–2021 school year

Abstract

IntroductionThe aim of this project was to evaluate the psychopathological impact of home confinement and school closing between March and September 2020 on the mental health of Catalonian children. MethodsPEDSAME study: first cross-sectional section (beginning of the school year) and retrospective data (lockdown), carried out through the network of Primary Care pediatricians in the Catalan population between 5 and 14 years (included) from 09/14/2020 to 10/30/2020 in a random sample. Data were collected with an online survey through the RedCap platform at the beginning of the school year. The main variable was the result of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire answered by parents to assess the risk of psychopathology, in addition to other related variable. ResultsThe results obtained at the beginning of the school year show that 9.8% of the patients were probable cases of psychopathology. The most affected group were those between 5 and 8 years. The perception of the children's level of concern for their health and that of their family was a risk factor for presenting psychopathology, while the good family environment was a protective factor. Emotional and behavioral symptoms, sleep disorders and problematic use of screens were detected more frequently during confinement than at the beginning of the school year. ConclusionsConfinement and the absence of schooling for 6 months had a negative impact on the mental health of the child–adolescent population who showed worse indicators than the previous year.