ABSTRACT
According to data from the WHO, the COVID-19 pandemic has created an increase in anxiety and depression around the world. In particular, there has been an increase in Depressive Disorder in childhood: the closure of childcare centers has caused great stress in parents, especially in mothers who have developed more depressive disorders. Maternal depression appears to have created problematic behaviors in preschool children. This phenomenon is explained by several studies that over the years have shown that a good mother-child interaction is essential for the child's psychophysical health and that interactions with depressed mothers have caused depression in children already in early childhood. The purpose of this work is a review of the scientific literature, from 1927 to 2022, on depression in early childhood, from 0 to 5 years of age. Research has been carried out on Medline PubMed, Google Scholar and specialist scientific journals of psychiatry, psychology and child neuropsychiatry, using the following keywords: infant depression, anaclitic depression, hospitalism, early chilhood depression, depressive position, attachement and mother-infant dyad. The depressive illness of the mother, the lack of care, attention and stimulation to the vocalizations of the young child can induce negative reactions in the relationship between mother and child. Early identification and treatment of perinatal depression is critical to ensuring the child's optimal development and future mental health. In addition to maternal depression there are also other factors that can generate depression in the child as well as a prolonged separation from her. The authors' conclusions are that it is essential to train and inform educators and family members on depression in childhood to allow for the recognition of the child's suffering and for it to be examined by the doctor. It is important an early intervention both on the family and on the child to avoid relapses, chronicity and any serious damage.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Depression , Child, Preschool , Depression/psychology , Female , Humans , Infant , Mother-Child Relations/psychology , Mothers/psychology , Pandemics , PregnancyABSTRACT
The COVID-19 epidemic has been a major global public health problem during past months in Italy and in several other Countries and on the date of publication of this article, is still a serious public health problem. The health staff, engaged in the care of the sick and in the prevention of the spread of the infection have been subjected to a further increase in psychological difficulties and work-related stress, related to the workload for the continuous influx of sick and intense and close working shifts for the viral emergency. The SAVE-9 (Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics - 9 items) scale has been developed as a tool for assessing work anxiety and stress in response to the viral epidemic of health professionals working to prevent the spread of the virus and to treat infected people.