Loneliness, internalizing symptoms, and inflammatory markers in adolescent COVID-19 survivors.

BACKGROUND: Concerns about the psychiatric sequelae after COVID-19 infection have increased as the pandemic spreads worldwide. The increase in self-isolation during this pandemic period has also revealed the importance of feelings of loneliness. This study aimed to examine the relationship between baseline inflammation levels, internalizing symptoms, and feelings of loneliness in adolescent COVID-19 survivors in the long term. METHODS: A total of 74 adolescents (41 girls, 55.4%, mean age 14.88) and their parents were included in the study. This cross-sectional study assessed internalizing symptoms via Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) and feelings of loneliness using the UCLA-loneliness scale. Baseline inflammatory markers at COVID-19 diagnosis were collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine predictors for depression in adolescents. RESULTS: The most common disorder was Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) (25.7%), and 33.8% of the adolescents were in the clinical range in at least one internalizing domain. Baseline C-Reactive Protein (CRP) levels correlated weakly with MDD scores. Loneliness scores correlated with all internalizing symptoms, strong association with MDD scores. Loneliness, anxiety, and parental anxiety were associated with an increased likelihood of MDD. Baseline CRP positivity did not predict MDD in adolescent COVID-19 survivors. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that anxiety, loneliness, and parental anxiety play an important role in adolescents' experience of depressive symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Thus, screening parental psychopathology and loneliness in COVID-19 survivors seems to be preventive for adolescent mental health problems.

Evaluation of Psychiatric Symptoms in 2-5 Years Old Children Who Are Followed and Treated with the Diagnosis of Wheezing during the COVID-19 Pandemic and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Levels of Mothers

Objective: The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children and adults is a candidate to be one of the most current issues in healthcare in the near future. This study aimed to determine the clinical course of patients diagnosed with wheezing, to make emotional, behavioral, social, and psychiatric evaluations, and to investigate the possible effect of the pandemic on disease follow-up and treatment by evaluating the psychiatric conditions of their mothers. Material and Methods: The study included 58 patients diagnosed with a wheezy infant aged 2-5 years. Data regarding the sociodemographic characteristics and wheezing history of the patients were recorded. 'Test for Respiratory and Asthma Control in Kids (TRACK)' was applied to evaluate their current clinical condition. For psychiatric evaluation, the 'Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaires (SDQ)' was applied to the patients, and the 'Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21)' and 'The Brief Resilience Scale (BRS)' were administered to their mothers. Results: In our study, it was observed that our patients experienced emotional, behavioral, peer, and social problems at varying rates (17-43%) during the pandemic period. It was especially noteworthy that emotional problems were seen more frequently in girls. It has been shown that there is a positive relationship between depression scores in mothers and SDQ Total Scores of their children. On the other hand, it was observed that current disease control status, hospitalization history, and whether or not being symptomatic during the pandemic period did not contribute to mental impairment in mothers. Conclusion: The detection of high overall difficulty scores in children of mothers with high depression scores indicates that there is a need to evaluate maternal and child mental health together. Psychological influence is multifactorial and varies between societies. There is a need for studies on a larger scale that take familial and individual variables into account. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] Amaç: COVÍD-19'un çocukların ve yetişkinlerin ruh sağlığı üzerindeki etkisi, yakın gelecekte sağlık hizmetlerinde en güncel sorunlardan biri olmaya adaydır. Bu çalışma ile hışıltılı çocuk tanılı hastaların pandemi dönemindeki klinik seyirlerini belirlemek, duygusal, davranışsal, sosyal ve psikiyatrik değerlendirmelerini yapmak, ayrıca annelerinin de psikiyatrik durumlarını değerlendirerek pandeminin hastalık takip ve tedavisi üzerine olan olası etkisinin araştırmak amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya 2-5 yaş arası 58 hışıltılı çocuk tanılı hasta dahil edildi. Hastaların sosyodemografik özellikleri ve hışıltı geçmişlerine ait veriler kaydedildi. Güncel klinik durumlarını değerlendirmek üzere Çocuklar Íçin Solunum ve Astım Kontrol Testi uygulandı. Psikiyatrik değerlendirme amacıyla hastalara Güçler ve Güçlükler Anketi (SDQ), annelerine ise Depresyon Anksiyete Stres Ölçeği 21 (DASS 21) ve Kısa Psikolojik Sağlamlık Testi uygulandı. Bulgular: Çalışmamızda pandemi döneminde hastalarımızın değişen oranlarda (%17-43) duygusal, davranış, hiperaktivite, akran ve sosyal açılardan problem yaşadığı gözlemlenmiştir. Kız çocuklarda duygusal problemlerin daha sık görülmesi özellikle dikkat çekmiştir. Annelerdeki depresyon skorları ile çocuklarının SDQ toplam skorları arasında pozitif ilişki olduğu gösterilmiştir. Buna karşılık güncel hastalık kontrol durumunun, hospitalizasyon öyküsünün ve pandemi döneminde semptomatik olup olmamanın annelerde mental etkilenmeye katkıda bulunmadığı gözlenmiştir. Sonuç: Depresyon puanı yüksek olan annelerin çocuklarında genel güçlük puanlarının yüksek saptanması, anne ve çocuk ruh sağlığının birlikte değerlendirilmesine ihtiyaç olduğunu göstermektedir. Psikolojik etki çok faktörlüdür ve toplumlar arasında farklılık gösterir. Bu konuda ailesel ve bireysel değişkenlerin göz önüne alındığı daha büyük ölçekli gelecek çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. (Turkish) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pediatric Disease / Cocuk Hastaliklari Dergisi is the property of Turkish Journal of Pediatric Disease and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Psychiatric symptoms in children with COVID-19, mothers` psychological resilience and related factors: pandemic hospital inpatient experiences.

BACKGROUND: Information on psychological problems and affecting factors in children hospitalized with the suspicion or diagnosis of COVID-19 is limited. We aimed to screen the psychiatric symptoms of children hospitalized with COVID-19 in Ankara City Children`s Hospital and evaluate the caregivers` depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience levels during hospitalization. METHODS: Among the children and adolescents hospitalized in Ankara City Children`s Hospital between 1 May 2020 and 31 May 2020 due to the diagnosis of COVID-19, those who agreed to participate in the study were included. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21 (DASS- 21) scale, and the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) were used to determine the symptoms. RESULTS: The mean age of study group (n = 49) was 8.7 ± 5.0 years, 59.2% (n = 29) were girls. The mean children`s SDQ-externalizing problems scores were higher in the COVID-19 positive mothers group than the COVID-19 negative mothers` group. The SDQ-total score was positively and strongly correlated with the DASS total score, DASS-depression score, and DASS-anxiety score. BRS scale scores were negatively correlated with the SDQtotal, externalizing, and DASS-21scale scores. CONCLUSIONS: COVID-19 positivity in mothers could be associated with externalizing problems in children. The high resilience of caregivers of inpatients seems to be related to less psychopathology in children. During hospitalization, caregivers` psychological evaluation and psychosocial support may be important for preventive child mental health.

Correlates of psychotic like experiences (PLEs) during Pandemic: An online study investigating a possible link between the SARS-CoV-2 infection and PLEs among adolescents.

BACKGROUND: This study investigated whether SARS-CoV-2 infection, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, cigarette, alcohol, drug usage contribute to psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) among adolescents during the pandemic. We also aimed to explore whether baseline inflammatory markers or the number of SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms are associated with PLEs, and the latter is mediated by internalizing symptoms. METHODS: Altogether, 684 adolescents aged 12-18 (SARS-CoV-2 group n = 361, control group (CG) n = 323) were recruited. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences-42-Positive Dimension (CAPE-Pos), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires were completed by all volunteers using an online survey. C-reactive Protein and hemogram values, and SARS-CoV-2-related symptoms during the acute infection period were recorded in the SARS-CoV-2 group. Group comparisons, correlations, logistic regression, and bootstrapped mediation analyses were performed. RESULTS: CAPE-Pos-Frequency/Stress scores were significantly higher, whereas GAD-7-Total and PSQI-Total scores were significantly lower in SARS-CoV-2 than CG. Among the SARS-CoV-2 group, monocyte count and the number of SARS-CoV-2-symptoms were positively correlated with CAPE-Pos-Frequency/Stress scores. Besides SARS-CoV-2, cigarette use, GAD-7, and PHQ-9 scores significantly contributed to the presence of at least one CAPE-Pos "often" or "almost always". PHQ-9 and GAD-7 fully mediated the relationship between the number of SARS-CoV-2 symptoms and CAPE-Pos-Frequency. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to show a possible relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and PLEs among adolescents. Depression, anxiety, and cigarette use also contributed to PLEs. The number of SARS-Cov-2-symptoms and PLEs association was fully mediated by internalizing symptoms, but prospective studies will need to confirm this result.

Anxiety among the parents of pediatric patients receiving IVIG therapy during the Covid-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Symptomatic COVID-19 cases in children occur mostly in those with primary immunodeficiency (PID), chronic lung diseases, and heart disease. Guidelines recommend that patients with PID continue to use their regular medication during the pandemic. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to evaluate anxiety related to COVID-19 in the parents of patients receiving intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) treatment in our hospital and to evaluate the effect of their anxiety on the continuity of treatment. METHODS: The parents of the patients who underwent IVIG therapy in our clinic during the pandemic (between May 15, 2020 and July 1, 2020) were included in our study. RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients with PID whose IVIG therapy was initiated before the pandemic and 29 non- PID control subjects were included in the study. All patients received IVIG treatment in our clinic continued treatment during the pandemic at the same dose intervals. Parents in the IVIG group had significantly higher state (p=0.003) and trait (p=0.003) anxiety scores compared to control parents. IVIG group showed statistically significant higher scores in Beck depression inventory, than the control group (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The parents of PID patients who needed to come to the hospital for IVIG therapy had higher anxiety levels than the parents of similar aged children who presented to our clinic for different complaints between the same dates. Despite their concerns, the parents of all patients under IVIG therapy maintained treatment continuity at the recommended treatment intervals. None of our immunodeficient patients who presented for treatment during the pandemic contracted COVID-19 infection during our study.

Evaluation of Asthma Control Status and Anxiety Level During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Asthma.

Objective: We aimed to evaluate asthma control status, drug compliance and anxiety levels of children and their parents who were followed up with the diagnosis of asthma during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods: Sixty-seven children aged between 8-12 years diagnosed with asthma and their parents were prospectively recruited to the study. A questionnaire including demographic features such as age, gender, asthma medications and questions about COVID-19 prepared according to a 5-point Likert scale was conducted to the parents. Children completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventories for Children (STAI-C) scales, and childhood asthma control test(c-ACT). Parents also fulfilled STAI scales. Results: The mean age of the patients was 9.5±1.2 years, the median follow-up period for asthma (C-ACT) was 36 (21-66) months, and 45 (67.2%) were male. Most of the children were using their asthma medication regularly. Children's STAI-C state and trait anxiety scores showed a statistically significant positive correlation with parents' STAI state and trait anxiety scores. The anxiety levels of parents who thought that they would get the disease and that there would be no effective treatment and vaccine against COVID-19 were found to be higher. Conclusion: During the pandemic period, regular asthma follow-up and drug compliance are very important controlling asthma symptoms in children. Considering the effects of the pandemic in children with asthma, psychosocial evaluations during outpatient controls may have positive effects on children's mental health and disease control. (English) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Amaç: Çalışmamızda astımlı çocuklarda ve ailelerinde yeni tip coronavirüs hastalığı (COVID-19) döneminde astım kontrol durumları, ilaç uyumları ve kaygı düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmaya en az altı aydır astım tanısıyla izlenen 8-12 yaş arası 67 çocuk ve ebeveynleri dahil edilmiştir. Ebeveynlere yaş, cinsiyet, astım ilaçları gibi demografik özellikleri ve 5'li Likert ölçeğine göre hazırlanmış COVID-19 ile ilgili soruları içeren anket yapılmıştır. Ayrıca çocukluk çağı astım kontrol anketi (AKT) ve kaygı düzeyini değerlendirmek için çocuklara Çocuklar Íçin Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri (Ç-DSKE), ebeveynlere de Erişkinler için Durumluk-Sürekli Kaygı Envanteri (DSKE) uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Hastaların ortalama yaşı 9.5±1.2 yıl, astım takip süresi ortancası (çeyrekler arası aralık) 36 (21-66) aydı ve 45'i (%67.2) erkekti. Çocukların çoğu astım ilaçlarını düzenli kullanıyordu. Çocukların Ç-DSKE durumluk ve sürekli kaygı puanları, ebeveynlerin DSKE durumluk ve süreklik kaygı puanlarıyla istatistiksel olarak anlamlı pozitif yönde korelasyon gösteriyordu. Hastalığı geçireceğini, COVID-19'a karşı etkili tedavi ve aşı bulunamayacağını düşünen ebeveynlerin kaygı düzeyleri daha yüksek bulundu. Çocukların cinsiyeti, astım takip süreleri, astım kontrol durumları, düzenli takibe gelme ve astım ilacını düzenli kullanmasına göre gruplandırılarak karşılaştırıldığında yine çocuk Ç-DSKE ve ebeveynlerin DSKE skorları arasında fark yoktu. Sonuç: Pandemi döneminde düzenli kontrol ve ilaç uyumu çocuklarda astım semptomlarının kontrol altına alınmasında son derece önemlidir. Astımlı çocuklarda pandeminin etkileri de göz önünde bulundurularak poliklinik kontrolleri sırasında psikososyal değerlendirilmelerinin yapılması çocukların ruh sağlığı ve hastalık kontrolü üzerinde olumlu etkileri olabilir. (Turkish) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Pediatric Disease / Cocuk Hastaliklari Dergisi is the property of Turkish Journal of Pediatric Disease and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)