Di Norcia Anna, Mascaro Chiara, Bianchi Dora, Cannoni Eleonora, Szpunar Giordana, Laghi Fiorenzo
Department of Social and Developmental Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Children (Basel). 2023 Aug 4;10(8):1349. doi: 10.3390/children10081349.
The present study investigated protective and risk factors for psychological difficulties in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically, the role of increased use of digital devices (DDs) for recreational purposes and the role of free time spent with parents were explored. Furthermore, the possible mediating effect of increased use of DDs in the relationship between free time spent with parents and psychological difficulties was tested. Participants were 4412 Italian children and adolescents, divided into two groups: children aged 6-10 years (n = 2248) and adolescents aged 11-18 years ( = 2164). Data were collected in Italy during the national lockdown and questionnaires were completed online by parents, who reported on their children's habits. The daily use of DDs increased significantly during the lockdown compared to the previous period, in both children and adolescents. Additionally, psychological difficulties increased in both children and adolescents during the lockdown, with a more severe impairment for children. Increased use of DDs during the lockdown positively predicted psychological difficulties (children: beta = 0.18, < 0.001; adolescents: beta = 0.13, < 0.001), while free time spent with parents was protective (children: beta = -13, < 0.001; adolescents: beta = -0.12, < 0.001). For children (but not adolescents), increased use of DDs mediated the effects of free time spent with parents on psychological difficulties (children: beta = -0.01, 95% CI [-0.018, -0.002]; adolescents: beta = -0.003, 95% CI [-0.009, 0.003]). The findings provide new insights for education and research.
本研究调查了新冠疫情封锁期间儿童和青少年心理问题的保护因素和风险因素。具体而言，探讨了娱乐目的数字设备（DDs）使用增加的作用以及与父母共度自由时光的作用。此外，还测试了DDs使用增加在与父母共度自由时光和心理问题之间关系中的可能中介作用。参与者为4412名意大利儿童和青少年，分为两组：6至10岁儿童（n = 2248）和11至18岁青少年（n = 2164）。在意大利全国封锁期间收集数据，问卷由家长在线完成，他们报告孩子的习惯。与封锁前相比，封锁期间儿童和青少年每天使用DDs的情况均显著增加。此外，封锁期间儿童和青少年的心理问题均有所增加，儿童的损害更为严重。封锁期间DDs使用增加正向预测心理问题（儿童：β = 0.18，p < 0.001；青少年：β = 0.13，p < 0.001），而与父母共度的自由时光具有保护作用（儿童：β = -0.13，p < 0.001；青少年：β = -0.12，p < 0.001）。对于儿童（而非青少年），DDs使用增加介导了与父母共度自由时光对心理问题的影响（儿童：β = -0.01，95%CI [-0.018, -0.002]；青少年：β = -0.003，95%CI [-0.009, 0.003]）。这些发现为教育和研究提供了新的见解。
