Oblath Rachel, Dayal Rohan, Loubeau J Krystel, Lejeune Julia, Sikov Jennifer, Savage Meera, Posse Catalina, Jain Sonal, Zolli Nicole, Baul Tithi D, Ladino Valeria, Ji Chelsea, Kabrt Jessica, Sidky Lillian, Rabin Megan, Kim Do Yoon, Kobayashi Imme, Murphy J Michael, Garg Arvin, Spencer Andrea E
Department of Psychiatry, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA.
BEST Partnership for Behavioral Health, Racial, and Social Justice, Boston, MA, USA.
Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health. 2024 Mar 14;18(1):32. doi: 10.1186/s13034-024-00712-4.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous obstacles to psychosocial wellbeing for children. We conducted a longitudinal study to evaluate child mental health and social risks during the pandemic.
Participants were 172 caregivers of children aged 6-11 years old who attended well child visits within 6 months before pandemic onset at an urban safety net hospital in the US. Prepandemic data was extracted from the electronic medical record, and surveys were administered at three time points between August 2020 and July 2021. We measured mental health symptoms with the Pediatric Symptom Checklist-17, social risks (e.g., food and housing insecurity) with the THRIVE questionnaire, and school modality (in-person, hybrid, remote).
Compared to pre-pandemic, children had significantly higher PSC-17 total scores (overall mental health symptoms) and THRIVE total scores (total burden of social risks) at all three mid-pandemic waves. Using longitudinal mixed models accounting for time, social risks, and school modality, both social risks (B = 0.37, SE = 0.14, p < 0.01) and school modality were significantly associated with PSC-17 scores (B = - 1.95, SE = 0.63, p < 0.01). Children attending in-person school had fewer mental health symptoms than those attending remote or hybrid school.
Mental health symptoms and social risks remained significantly higher fifteen months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prepandemic. In-person attendance at school appeared protective against persistently elevated mental health symptoms.
新冠疫情给儿童的心理健康带来了诸多障碍。我们开展了一项纵向研究，以评估疫情期间儿童的心理健康和社会风险。
参与者为172名6至11岁儿童的照顾者，这些儿童在美国一家城市安全网医院疫情爆发前6个月内参加了健康儿童检查。疫情前的数据从电子病历中提取，并在2020年8月至2021年7月期间的三个时间点进行了调查。我们使用儿童症状清单-17测量心理健康症状，使用THRIVE问卷测量社会风险（如食品和住房不安全），并测量学校模式（面对面、混合、远程）。
与疫情前相比，在疫情期间的所有三个阶段，儿童的PSC-17总分（总体心理健康症状）和THRIVE总分（社会风险总负担）均显著更高。使用考虑时间、社会风险和学校模式的纵向混合模型，社会风险（B = 0.37，SE = 0.14，p < 0.01）和学校模式均与PSC-17得分显著相关（B = -1.95，SE = 0.63，p < 0.01）。参加面对面学校的儿童心理健康症状比参加远程或混合学校的儿童少。
与疫情前相比，新冠疫情爆发15个月后，心理健康症状和社会风险仍然显著更高。面对面上学似乎对持续升高的心理健康症状有保护作用。
