ABSTRACT
Background The period throughout the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presented major challenges for children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing and psychosocial adjustment and had a great impact on their mental health. Psychosomatic health complaints are highly common in childhood and adolescence and present an important indicator of mental health and wellbeing.Methods The nationwide, longitudinal COPSY-study (COvid-19 and PSYchological Health) has monitored changes in mental health among children and adolescents in Germany since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in five survey waves (2020–2022). In total, n = 1673 children and adolescents aged 11 years and older and their parents participated in at least one survey wave. Self-reported psychosomatic health complaints were assessed in each survey wave, using a modified version of an internationally validated eight-item symptom checklist (HBSC-SCL). A mixed model panel regression analysis was conducted to examine longitudinal changes in psychosomatic health complaints and to identify psychosocial and pandemic-related risk factors as well as resources. Risk estimations were used to explore the effect of a reported previous infection with COVID-19 on psychosomatic health complaints.Results Psychosomatic health complaints among children and adolescents increased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Girls and children of mentally ill or highly burdened parents were at particular risk. A higher subjective perceived burden of the pandemic as well as COVID-19 related worries were significantly associated with a higher level of psychosomatic health complaints. Overall, Long-COVID was diagnosed by a clinical expert in 2.9% of children with previously reported COVID-19. An infection with COVID-19 was no significant risk factor for psychosomatic health complaints in general but increased the risk of sleeping difficulties and loss of concentration in autumn 2022. Personal resources, a positive family climate, and more perceived social support were significantly associated with less psychosomatic health complaints.Conclusions Three years after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, children and adolescents are suffering from multiple psychosomatic health complaints. Medium and long-term consequences of the pandemic and associated measures are therefore suspected. Targeted health promotion and intervention strategies are needed to protect and maintain children’s and adolescents’ health.