Changes in psychosocial functioning among urban, school-age children during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract Background There is concern about the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychosocial functioning among school-age children, who have faced unusual stressors during this time. Our goal was to assess mental health symptoms and social risks during COVID-19, compared to before the pandemic, for urban, racial and ethnic minority school-age children, and investigate the relationship between mental health and social risks. Methods We conducted a cohort study from September 2019 until January 2021 of children age 5–11 years old recruited from an urban safety net hospital-based pediatric primary care practice. We measured emotional and behavioral symptoms (including attention, internalizing, and externalizing symptoms) before and during the pandemic with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist (PSC-17). We measured social risks (including food and housing insecurity) before and during the pandemic with the THRIVE screener. We measured additional mid-pandemic COVID-related stressors with items on school participation, screens/media use, illness exposure, and caregiver mental health. We compared pre- and mid-pandemic PSC-17 symptom scores across 4 domains (total, attention, internalizing, and externalizing) and used path analysis to examine the relationship between mental health and social risks pre- and mid-pandemic. Results Caregivers of 168 children (54% non-Hispanic Black, 29% Hispanic, and 22% non-English speaking) completed the study. Children had significantly higher levels of emotional and behavioral symptoms midpandemic- vs. pre-pandemic in all domains. Significantly more children had a positive PSC-17 total score (18% vs. 8%, p < 0.01) and internalizing (depression and anxiety) score (18% vs. 5%, p < 0.001) during the pandemic vs. before, indicating clinical concerns in these areas. Caregivers reported significantly more social risks during vs. before the pandemic (p < 0.001). Mental health symptoms significantly correlated with number of social risks before the pandemic, but not during the pandemic. Less school assignment completion, increased screen time, and caregiver depression were all significantly associated with worse mid-pandemic mental health in children. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a dramatic increase in depression/anxiety problems and social risks among urban, racial and ethnic minority school-age children compared to before the pandemic. More research is needed to understand if these changes will persist.

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The Relationship Between Social Risks and the Mental Health of School-Age Children in Primary Care

Academic Pediatrics ◽

10.1016/j.acap.2019.11.006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 208-215 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Andrea E. Spencer ◽

Tithi D. Baul ◽

Jennifer Sikov ◽

William G. Adams ◽

Yorghos Tripodis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Primary Care ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Social Risks ◽

The Relationship

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HUBUNGAN KOMUNIKASI TERAPEUTIK PERAWAT DENGAN KECEMASAN ANAK USIA PRASEKOLAH AKIBAT HOSPITALISASI

Jurnal Ilmiah Permas: Jurnal Ilmiah STIKES Kendal ◽

10.32583/pskm.9.2.2019.135-140 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 135-140

Author(s):

Qurrotul Aeni ◽

Andriyani Mustika Nurwijayanti ◽

Muhammad Khabib Burhanuddin Iqomh

Keyword(s):

Research Data ◽

School Age Children ◽

P Value ◽

School Age ◽

Therapeutic Communication ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Communication Anxiety ◽

Children’S Anxiety ◽

The Relationship ◽

Severe Anxiety

Introduction: anxiety is a condition that will be experienced by children who experience hospitalization and must get attention and management. Anxiety during hospitalization that is not properly addressed will hinder treatment and affect child development. The purpose of the study: to determine the relationship between therapeutic communication nurses and the anxiety of preschool children due to hospitalizationMethod: The study design used descriptive correlation with a cross-sectional approach. The number of samples is 31 with purposive sampling. Collecting research data using a questionnaire.Results: The results showed a majority of therapeutic communication was 61.3%, anxiety in children due to hospitalization of 100% with severe anxiety was 58.1%, there was a relationship between therapeutic communication and children's anxiety (p = 0.001). Suggestions need to be carried out further research on the factors that influence the low therapeutic communication in nurses.Discussion: The results of the statistical analysis using the Spearman's Rho test got p value 0.001 (p <0.05) the relationship between therapeutic communication and the anxiety of pre-school age children who experienced hospitalization, therapeutic communication can be used as an action to prevent anxiety due to hospitalization in pre-school age children.Suggestion: need to do further research on the factors that influence the low therapeutic communication in nurses Keywords: therapeutic communication, anxiety, hospitalization.

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Gender Nonbinary Mental Health

The Oxford Handbook of Sexual and Gender Minority Mental Health ◽

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190067991.013.27 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 295-304

Author(s):

Lore M. Dickey

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Native American ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Global South ◽

Additional Research ◽

American People ◽

Psychological Literature ◽

Nonbinary Gender ◽

And Training ◽

Racial And Ethnic Minority

In this chapter the author explores the mental health of those with nonbinary gender identities and focuses on the issues they face. The author defines nonbinary identities and discusses how these identities are different than people who have binary identities. There is a summary of the extant psychological literature focusing on people with nonbinary identities. Attention is also brought to how racial and ethnic minority individuals, including Native American people, conceptualize nonbinary identities. The chapter ends with information about the lack of attention to the Global South and the need for additional research and training in the mental health of those with nonbinary identities.

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How is the COVID-19 lockdown impacting the mental health of parents of school-age children in the UK? A cross-sectional online survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-043397 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. e043397

Author(s):

Austen El-Osta ◽

Aos Alaa ◽

Iman Webber ◽

Eva Riboli Sasco ◽

Emmanouil Bagkeris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Social Isolation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Female Gender ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Uk ◽

The Impact

ObjectiveInvestigate the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on feelings of loneliness and social isolation in parents of school-age children.DesignCross-sectional online survey of parents of primary and secondary school-age children.SettingCommunity setting.Participants1214 parents of school-age children in the UK.MethodsAn online survey explored the impact of lockdown on the mental health of parents with school-age children, and in particular about feelings of social isolation and loneliness. Associations between the UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale (UCLATILS), the Direct Measure of Loneliness (DMOL) and the characteristics of the study participants were assessed using ordinal logistic regression models.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported measures of social isolation and loneliness using UCLATILS and DMOL.ResultsHalf of respondents felt they lacked companionship, 45% had feelings of being left out, 58% felt isolated and 46% felt lonely during the first 100 days of lockdown. The factors that were associated with higher levels of loneliness on UCLATILS were female gender, parenting a child with special needs, lack of a dedicated space for distance learning, disruption of sleep patterns and low levels of physical activity during the lockdown. Factors associated with a higher DMOL were female gender, single parenting, parenting a child with special needs, unemployment, low physical activity, lack of a dedicated study space and disruption of sleep patterns during the lockdown.ConclusionsThe COVID-19 lockdown has increased feelings of social isolation and loneliness among parents of school-age children. The sustained adoption of two modifiable health-seeking lifestyle behaviours (increased levels of physical activity and the maintenance of good sleep hygiene practices) wmay help reduce feelings of social isolation and loneliness during lockdown.

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The mediating role of school belonging in the relationship between socioemotional well-being and loneliness in primary school age children

Australian Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1080/00049530.2021.1882270 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 73 (1) ◽

pp. 24-34 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Olympia Palikara ◽

Susana Castro-Kemp ◽

Carolina Gaona ◽

Vasiliki Eirinaki

Keyword(s):

Primary School ◽

Well Being ◽

School Belonging ◽

School Age Children ◽

School Age ◽

Mediating Role ◽

Primary School Age ◽

The Relationship

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The Relation between Physiological Parameters and Colour Modifications in Text Background and Overlay during Reading in Children with and without Dyslexia

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11050539 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (5) ◽

pp. 539

Author(s):

Tamara Jakovljević ◽

Milica M. Janković ◽

Andrej M. Savić ◽

Ivan Soldatović ◽

Gordana Čolić ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fixation Duration ◽

Physiological Parameters ◽

School Age Children ◽

Control Group ◽

School Age ◽

Time Duration ◽

The Relationship ◽

White Colour ◽

Saccade Duration ◽

40 Hz

Reading is one of the essential processes during the maturation of an individual. It is estimated that 5–10% of school-age children are affected by dyslexia, the reading disorder characterised by difficulties in the accuracy or fluency of word recognition. There are many studies which have reported that coloured overlays and background could improve the reading process, especially in children with reading disorders. As dyslexia has neurobiological origins, the aim of the present research was to understand the relationship between physiological parameters and colour modifications in the text and background during reading in children with and without dyslexia. We have measured differences in electroencephalography (EEG), heart rate variability (HRV), electrodermal activities (EDA) and eye movements of the 36 school-age (from 8 to 12 years old) children (18 with dyslexia and 18 of control group) during the reading task in 13 combinations of background and overlay colours. Our findings showed that the dyslexic children have longer reading duration, fixation count, fixation duration average, fixation duration total, and longer saccade count, saccade duration total, and saccade duration average while reading on white and coloured background/overlay. It was found that the turquoise background, turquoise overlay, and yellow background colours are beneficial for dyslexic readers, as they achieved the shortest time duration of the reading tasks when these colours were used. Additionally, dyslexic children have higher values of beta (15–40 Hz) and the broadband EEG (0.5–40 Hz) power while reading in one particular colour (purple), as well as increasing theta range power while reading with the purple overlay. We have observed no significant differences between HRV parameters on white colour, except for single colours (purple, turquoise overlay, and yellow overlay) where the control group showed higher values for mean HR, while dyslexic children scored higher with mean RR. Regarding EDA measure, we found systematically lower values in children with dyslexia in comparison to the control group. Based on the present results, we can conclude that both pastel and intense background/overlays are beneficial for reading of both groups and all sensor modalities could be used to better understand the neurophysiological origins in dyslexic children.

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