Buffering effect of positive childhood experiences on mental health risks among adolescents

Objective: To explore the buffering effect of positive childhood experiences (PCEs) on mental health risks among adolescents before and after COVID-19 epidemic. Methods In October 2019 (before the outbreak of COVID-19), 1 322 students from grades 4 to 9 were recruited from primary and secondary schools in two counties of Chizhou city, Anhui Province. A questionnaire survey was conducted to collect general demographic information, PCEs, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, self-harm behavior, suicidal ideation. Follow-up survey was conducted after school re-opening (May 2020). Mental health status before and after the COVID-19 epidemic was compared among students with different PCEs by multiple logistic regression analyses.