Payne Leanne, Goijen Hedwig J, Cobham Vanessa, Bor William, Stathis Stephen S, Coghill David C, Middeldorp Christel M
Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia.
Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, South Brisbane, Australia.
Early Interv Psychiatry. 2023 Dec;17(12):1180-1188. doi: 10.1111/eip.13421. Epub 2023 Apr 12.
This explorative study aims to provide insight into impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions, on mental health of children and adolescents treated at Child and Youth Mental Health Services, and their parents.
The COVID-19 Mental Health Survey was disseminated to parents of children and adolescents under treatment at community Child and Youth Mental Health Services (Brisbane, Australia) between July-November 2020 throughout different stages of COVID-19 related restrictions. Parents of 110 children participated.
Most reported child's symptoms were sadness (46%), anxiety (60%), lack of focus (61%), lack of joy in their usual activities (38%) and reduction in sleep (42%). Parental emotions were significantly correlated with their child's emotions. Parent's lack of enjoyment of usual activities had the overall strongest average correlation (0.27) but this was no longer significant once other variables were controlled for. Children who attended school remotely for some of the days had a significantly (p < .05) higher risk of having more reported symptoms. Interestingly, in later stages of the lockdown with further easing of restrictions, symptoms also tended to be more severe.
Cross-sectional data on children and adolescents in Queensland, Australia with pre-existing mental health issues suggests mental health continued to deteriorate through the pandemic even as restrictions eased. Changes in schooling seem to be an especially important risk factor.
本探索性研究旨在深入了解新冠疫情及其相关限制措施对儿童和青少年心理健康服务机构所治疗的儿童、青少年及其父母心理健康的影响。
2020年7月至11月期间，在新冠疫情相关限制措施的不同阶段，向澳大利亚布里斯班社区儿童和青少年心理健康服务机构正在接受治疗的儿童和青少年的父母发放了新冠心理健康调查问卷。110名儿童的父母参与了调查。
报告最多的儿童症状为悲伤（46%）、焦虑（60%）、注意力不集中（61%）、日常活动缺乏乐趣（38%）和睡眠减少（42%）。父母的情绪与孩子的情绪显著相关。父母日常活动缺乏乐趣的总体平均相关性最强（0.27），但在控制其他变量后，这种相关性不再显著。部分时间远程上学的儿童出现更多报告症状的风险显著更高（p < 0.05）。有趣的是，在封锁后期随着限制的进一步放宽，症状也往往更严重。
澳大利亚昆士兰州有心理健康问题的儿童和青少年的横断面数据表明，即使限制措施有所放宽，在疫情期间他们的心理健康仍持续恶化。学校教育的变化似乎是一个特别重要的风险因素。
