The pandemic seen through the eyes of the youngest people: evaluating psychological impact of the early COVID-19 related confinement on children and adolescents through the analysis of drawings and of an e-survey on their parents.
Minerva Pediatr (Torino)
; 2022 Jul 04.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1924883
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
COVID-19 is having a significant impact on long term children' and adolescents' psychological health. We aimed to evaluate the direct early psychological and behavioural signs related to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and related confinement on children and adolescents.METHODS:
Children and adolescents' drawings were collected for a limited time window (16th March-10th April 2020) and analyzed. Their parents were asked in the following month to answer a qualitative e-survey on somatic complaints and behavioral changes of the participating children/adolescents.RESULTS:
Ninety-eight drawings by children/adolescents (mean age 7.01±2.83 years) were analysed. Analyses of the 98 drawings reported signs of trauma in all (of them, 60.2% with moderate-to high levels). Children aged 3-5 years were more impacted, followed by preadolescents/adolescents aged 11-17 years. Parents reported somatic complaints in the 71.1% of their children/adolescents the most frequent were increased appetite (35.6%), abdominal pain (20.0%) and headache (20.0%). Behavioral changes were observed in 77.8% ofsubjects:
increased appetite (35.6%), abdominal pain (20.0%) and headache (20.0%) were more represented.CONCLUSIONS:
Early psychological distress related to COVID-19 pandemic was observed both in children and in adolescents by the analysis of drawings and confirmed by their parents. Implementation of mental health-care services for preventing future psychopathological problems is mandatory.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
Language:
English
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS