Abstract
This study investigated the effects of online schooling and screen-based activities on Canadian children’s COVID-19-related trauma and generalized anxiety symptoms and how parents’ coping strategies influenced these associations. The participants were 121 Canadian children aged from 7 to 12. Parents were asked to report on their children’s school attendance, screen-based activities, and trauma and generalized anxiety symptoms, as well as their own coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. Online schooling was associated with less trauma and generalized anxiety symptoms in children than school non-attendance. Screen-based activities were not directly associated with children’s trauma and anxiety symptoms, but the way parents coped with pandemic stressors moderated these associations. Parents’ active and adaptive coping strategies mitigated the effects of school non-attendance and increased screen-based activity use on children’s COVID-19-related symptoms. The findings not only highlight the detrimental effects of complete school closures, but they also underscore the importance of better equipping parents to cope with pandemic stressors. The findings also suggest that virtual school attendance might have similar benefits to in-person attendance, as it appears to protect against adverse mental health outcomes.
Highlights
Published: 5 May 2021During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, strict precautionary measures were implemented in several countries, including Canada, many of which required families to quarantine in their homes for months [1,2,3]
The first objective of this study was to investigate whether virtual school attendance and screen-based activities influenced children’s generalized anxiety and trauma symptoms during the first COVID-19 lockdown, while controlling for child ethnicity, household annual income, and parental education
Our study provides novel findings and suggests that online schooling could be as protective as in-person attendance as it alleviates significant risk factors associated with home confinement, including lack of social interactions and daily routine
Summary
During the first wave of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020, strict precautionary measures were implemented in several countries, including Canada, many of which required families to quarantine in their homes for months [1,2,3] While these measures were used to protect individuals from spreading COVID-19, many parents expressed concerns regarding how an extended quarantine would have an impact on their children’s mental health [4]. These concerns were not unfounded, as evidence suggests that children who quarantine during health crises tend to display higher levels of acute stress and trauma than children who do not [5]. Trauma and generalized anxiety symptoms seem to be attributable to the nature of the pandemic, as it is an unpredictable and scary situation where children can worry about their own and their family members’ safety and about the precautionary measures such as home
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
