A systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal cohort studies comparing mental health before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented threat to global mental health. Children and adolescents may be more susceptible to mental health impacts related to their vulnerable developmental stage, fear of infection, home confinement, suspension of regular school and extracurricular activities, physical distancing mandates, and larger scale threats such as global financial recessions and associated impacts. Our objective was to review existing evidence of the COVID-19 pandemic's global impact on the mental health of children and adolescents 3,000 chart reviews. A high prevalence of COVID-19-related fear was noted among children and adolescents, as well as more depressive and anxious symptoms compared with prepandemic estimates. Older adolescents, girls, and children and adolescents living with neurodiversities and/or chronic physical conditions were more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes. Many studies reported mental health deterioration among children and adolescents due to COVID-19 pandemic control measures. Physical exercise, access to entertainment, positive familial relationships, and social support were associated with better mental health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: This review highlights the urgent need for practitioners and policymakers to attend to and collaborate with children and adolescents, especially those in higher risk subgroups, to mitigate short- and long-term pandemic-associated mental health effects.

Review: Mental health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and youth - a systematic review.

http://www.thelancet.com/article/S0140673622015859/pdf

The Lancet Commission on lessons for the future from the COVID-19 pandemic

There is increasing knowledge that the COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on mental health of children and young people. However, the global evidence of mental health changes before compared to during the COVID-19 pandemic focusing on children and young people has not been systematically reviewed. This systematic review examined longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional studies comparing before and during COVID-19 pandemic data to determine whether the mental health of children and young people had changed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Web of Science, PubMed, Embase and PsycINFO databases were searched to identify peer-reviewed studies that had been published in English and focused on children and young people between 0 and 24 years of age. This identified 21 studies from 11 countries, covering more than 96,000 subjects from 3 to 24 years of age. Pre-pandemic and pandemic data were compared. Most studies reported longitudinal deterioration in the mental health of adolescents and young people, with increased depression, anxiety and psychological distress after the pandemic started. Other findings included deteriorated negative affect, mental well-being and increased loneliness. Comparing data for pandemic and pre-pandemic periods showed that the COVID-19 pandemic may negatively impact the mental health of children and young people. There is an urgent need for high-quality research to address the impact, risks and protective factors of the pandemic on their mental health, as this will provide a good foundation for dealing with future health emergencies and other crises. 

/pdf/a-systematic-review-of-the-mental-health-changes-of-children-12ezrr8a.pdf

A systematic review of the mental health changes of children and young people before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has threatened global mental health, both indirectly via disruptive societal changes and directly via neuropsychiatric sequelae after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Despite a small increase in self-reported mental health problems, this has (so far) not translated into objectively measurable increased rates of mental disorders, self-harm or suicide rates at the population level. This could suggest effective resilience and adaptation, but there is substantial heterogeneity among subgroups, and time-lag effects may also exist. With regard to COVID-19 itself, both acute and post-acute neuropsychiatric sequelae have become apparent, with high prevalence of fatigue, cognitive impairments and anxiety and depressive symptoms, even months after infection. To understand how COVID-19 continues to shape mental health in the longer term, fine-grained, well-controlled longitudinal data at the (neuro)biological, individual and societal levels remain essential. For future pandemics, policymakers and clinicians should prioritize mental health from the outset to identify and protect those at risk and promote long-term resilience. 

/pdf/how-covid-19-shaped-mental-health-from-infection-to-pandemic-k2dw6w4q.pdf

How COVID-19 shaped mental health: from infection to pandemic effects

COVID-19 has infected millions of people and upended the lives of most humans on the planet. Researchers from across the psychological sciences have sought to document and investigate the impact of COVID-19 in myriad ways, causing an explosion of research that is broad in scope, varied in methods, and challenging to consolidate. Because policy and practice aimed at helping people live healthier and happier lives requires insight from robust patterns of evidence, this article provides a rapid and thorough summary of high-quality studies available through early 2021 examining the mental-health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Our review of the evidence indicates that anxiety, depression, and distress increased in the early months of the pandemic. Meanwhile, suicide rates, life satisfaction, and loneliness remained largely stable throughout the first year of the pandemic. In response to these insights, we present seven recommendations (one urgent, two short-term, and four ongoing) to support mental health during the pandemic and beyond.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/17456916211029964

Mental Health During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review and Recommendations for Moving Forward

http://www.thelancet.com/article/S2468266722000603/pdf

Policy stringency and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis of data from 15 countries

The Affect Regulation Checklist (ARC) was designed to capture affect dysregulation, suppression, and reflection. Importantly, affect dysregulation has been established as a transdiagnostic mechanism underpinning many forms of psychopathology. We tested the ARC psychometric properties across clinical and community samples and through both parent-report and youth self-report information. Clinical sample: Participants included parents (n = 814; Mage = 43.86) and their child (n = 608; Mage = 13.98). Community sample: Participants included independent samples of parents (n = 578; Mage = 45.12) and youth (n = 809; Mage = 15.67). Exploratory structural equation modeling supported a three-factor structure across samples and informants. Dysregulation was positively associated with all forms of psychopathology. In general, suppression was positively associated with many forms of psychopathology, and reflection was negatively associated with externalizing problems and positively associated with internalizing problems. 

Psychometric Evaluation of the Affect Regulation Checklist: Clinical and Community Samples,
 Parent‐Reports
 and Youth
 Self‐Reports

The Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) measures vocational identity development in adolescents and emerging adults. Although the initial six-factor structure has been confirmed, there hav...

Factor Structure of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) in University, Liberal Arts, and Community College Students

Few studies have investigated the environmental factors of participants completing online self-report surveys, such as the presence of others and engagement in multitasking. The current study examined the environmental factors of 1023 participants drawn from two popular convenience populations—college students (n = 512) and Mechanical Turk workers (n = 511). All participants completed online measures of computer self-efficacy, the five-factor model of personality, and social desirability, as well as a questionnaire about their environment and activities when completing the measures. The two samples differed in terms of environmental factors, with college students significantly more likely to report: (1) being in a location other than their place of residence, (2) interacting with others, (3) being interrupted, (4) engaging in multitasking, (5) being under the influence of alcohol or other substances, and (6) completing the study using a laptop computer. The presence of others interacted with sample to predict personality and social desirability scores. Additionally, both presence of others and engaging in multitasking predicted longer completion time.

Emily M. Thornton

Papers

Mental Health During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review and Recommendations for Moving Forward

Policy stringency and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis of data from 15 countries

Psychometric Evaluation of the Affect Regulation Checklist: Clinical and Community Samples, Parent‐Reports and Youth Self‐Reports

Factor Structure of the Vocational Identity Status Assessment (VISA) in University, Liberal Arts, and Community College Students

College students’ and Mechanical Turk workers’ environmental factors while completing online surveys