Keller K, Taubner S, Georg A K
Institute of Psychology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Nov 25;3:1441969. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2024.1441969. eCollection 2024.
The COVID-19 pandemic placed many restrictions on families and affected the mental health of parents and children. The present study examines how the restrictions imposed during the pandemic and parental mental health affect early childhood psychopathology.
From September 2019 to December 2021, the Outpatient Department of Family Therapy at the Institute for Psychosocial Prevention, Heidelberg surveyed a clinical sample of 249 families who sought consultation for early childhood psychopathology. Early childhood psychopathology in children aged 0-3 years was assessed using the German Questionnaire for Crying, Feeding and Sleeping and the German version of the Child Behavior Checklist 1½-5. The Patient Health Questionnaire provided information on parental depressiveness and generalized anxiety. At the same time, the Stringency Index as part of the Oxford Coronavirus Government Response Tracker indicated the severity of COVID restrictions in Germany.
Dependent comparisons did not reveal significant differences in the infants' regulatory problems ( = 165, mean age = 8 months) during the lockdown compared to reopening phases. However, older children ( = 84, mean age = 25 months) exhibited more behavioral problems during lockdowns compared to reopening phases (Cohen's = 0.32, = .04). Subsequent regression analyses confirmed a slight increase in behavioral problems only among children aged 1.5-3 years ( = .047, = .08), but did not indicate any increase in parental mental health problems when more restrictions were in place. However, parental depressiveness had a strong independent effect on early childhood psychopathology. A hierarchical regression analysis indicated that psychopathology in children aged 1.5-3 years is best explained by female child gender, high parental depressiveness, and more severe restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic ( < .001, = .17) whereas early childhood psychopathology in infants aged 0-1.5 years is more prevalent in younger and male children with parents experiencing higher levels of depressiveness ( < .001, = .26).
The study found no increase in infant regulatory disorders or parental depressiveness and generalized anxiety during the pandemic. However, older children exhibited more behavioral problems during more severe pandemic restrictions. The study supports the provision of parent-child support during crises and beyond, as early childhood psychopathology was strongly associated with parental depressiveness.
新冠疫情给家庭带来了诸多限制，影响了父母和孩子的心理健康。本研究探讨了疫情期间实施的限制措施以及父母的心理健康如何影响幼儿心理病理学。
2019年9月至2021年12月，海德堡心理社会预防研究所家庭治疗门诊部对249个因幼儿心理病理学问题前来咨询的家庭临床样本进行了调查。使用德国版的《哭闹、喂养和睡眠问卷》以及德文版的《儿童行为清单1½ - 5岁》对0 - 3岁儿童的幼儿心理病理学进行评估。《患者健康问卷》提供了有关父母抑郁和广泛性焦虑的信息。同时，作为牛津冠状病毒政府应对追踪器一部分的严格指数表明了德国新冠限制措施的严格程度。
相关性比较未发现封锁期间婴儿（n = 165，平均年龄 = 8个月）的调节问题与重新开放阶段相比有显著差异。然而，年龄较大的儿童（n = 84，平均年龄 = 25个月）在封锁期间与重新开放阶段相比表现出更多行为问题（科恩d = 0.32，p = 0.04）。随后的回归分析证实，仅在1.5 - 3岁儿童中行为问题略有增加（p = 0.047，β = 0.08），但当限制措施更多时，并未表明父母心理健康问题有任何增加。然而，父母抑郁对幼儿心理病理学有很强的独立影响。分层回归分析表明，1.5 - 3岁儿童的心理病理学最好由女童性别、父母高抑郁程度以及新冠疫情期间更严格的限制来解释（F < 0.001，R² = 0.17），而0 - 1.5岁婴儿的幼儿心理病理学在父母抑郁程度较高的年幼和男童中更为普遍（F < 0.001，R² = 0.26）。
该研究发现疫情期间婴儿调节障碍、父母抑郁和广泛性焦虑没有增加。然而，年龄较大的儿童在疫情限制更严格期间表现出更多行为问题。该研究支持在危机期间及之后提供亲子支持，因为幼儿心理病理学与父母抑郁密切相关。
