Implementation of online classes during national school closure due to COVID-19 and mental health symptoms of adolescents: A cross-sectional survey of 5000 students

Aim Online classes were implemented in numerous schools during the school closure due to COVID-19. The present study examined the relationship between online classes during national school closure and mental health symptoms after the reopening of schools. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey from October 1 to November 7, 2020 using an anonymous self-reported questionnaire to evaluate 21 junior and senior high schools in the Saitama prefecture of Japan. Out of the 5538 students who were recruited, 5000 agreed to participate. The relationship between the implementation of online classes and mental health symptoms (emotional symptoms, psychotic experience [PE], and smartphone addiction) was evaluated using mixed-effect logistic regression models, while controlling for individual and class-level covariates (e.g., gender, grades). Results Implementation of online classes was reported by 78.2% of classroom teachers, and it was associated with lower rates of emotional symptoms (OR?=?0.79, 95% CI?=?0.63?0.99, p?=?0.040) and smartphone addiction (OR?=?0.79, 95% CI?=?0.65?0.96, p?=?0.020), but not related to PE (OR?=?0.91, 95% CI?=?0.61?1.36, p?=?0.637). Conclusions Implementing online classes during the national school closure might have had a potential protective effect for adolescents' mental health symptoms (especially emotional symptoms and smartphone addiction) after the reopening of schools during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Neighborhood Social Cohesion and Dementia-Related Stigma Among Mothers of Adolescents in the Pre- and Current COVID-19 Period: An Observational Study Using Population-Based Cohort Data.

BACKGROUND: Middle-aged adults may be the ideal target group for dementia-related stigma reduction interventions to encourage the utilization of services among those who may become family caregivers. Neighborhood social cohesion may diminish dementia-related stigma, particularly in terms of perceived public attitudes. The COVID-19 pandemic can further negatively impact perceived public stigma. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between neighborhood social cohesion and dementia-related stigma during the pre- and current COVID-19 period. METHODS: We employed a cross-sectional design using data from a large population-based cohort, the Tokyo Teen Cohort, in Japan. Overall, 2,469 mothers of 16-year-old adolescents self-completed a questionnaire comprising nine dementia-related stigma questions evaluating perceived public and personal attitudes. Neighborhood social cohesion was assessed using a five-item instrument. The participants were divided into two groups according to the time of assessment: prior to the pandemic's onset (February 2019-March 2020) and during the pandemic (April 2020-July 2021). A multiple regression analysis of stigma was performed using neighborhood social cohesion as an independent variable, and caring experience, age, educational level, and working status as covariates. RESULTS: Personal and perceived public stigma were significantly lower in participants who perceived greater neighborhood social cohesion. However, level of personal and perceived public stigma did not differ between pre- and during the pandemic period. CONCLUSION: Neighborhood social cohesion may be a modifiable factor for dementia-related stigma. A localized intervention to enhance social cohesion in the neighborhood community would promote the utilization of services among those who may become family caregivers.

Association between maternal perceived capacity in life and physical punishment of teenage children: a longitudinal analysis of a population-based cohort in Tokyo, Japan.

OBJECTIVES: Perceived capacity denotes a subjective sense of having resources to cope with strains and hardships, and hence maternal perceived capacity may be protective against risk factors for child maltreatment. This study investigated the longitudinal association between maternal perceived capacity in life and child maltreatment. DESIGN: This population-based longitudinal study used self-reported questionnaires from the Tokyo Teen Cohort study (TTC), a large community-based cohort study conducted in Japan between 2014 and 2019. SETTING: Mother-child pairs were randomly recruited from the resident registries of three municipalities in Tokyo, Japan. METHODS: A total of 2515 mothers participated. Mothers' perceived capacity in life was evaluated using the self-reported TTC wave 2 survey when their children were 12 years old. Mothers rated the extent to which they had capacity in terms of time, finance, physical well-being, mental well-being and life in general. Physical punishment, which is linked to more severe childhood maltreatment, was assessed using a question about the use of physical punishment at the wave 3 survey when children were 14 years old. RESULTS: After controlling for baseline covariates (including maternal social support, age, marital status, annual household income, educational attainment, child's age, gender, sibling and birth order, and behavioural difficulties), higher perceived capacity in finance (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.90 to 0.99, p=0.026) and mental well-being (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.88 to 0.98, p=0.005) were associated with less frequent use of physical punishment with 14-year-old children. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal perceived capacity in finance and mental well-being may decrease the risk of frequent use of physical punishment at the 2-year follow-up. Child maltreatment prevention strategies should aim to empower mothers and promote their perceived capacity in financial management and mental health.