The aim of this study was to determine the frequency of anxiety, depression, and irritability symptoms in children during the COVID-19 outbreak and to investigate the associated factors of these symptoms. This study was conducted with 1071 children aged 6 to 17. Results showed that 49.9% of the participants had anxiety symptoms, 29.5% had depression symptoms, and 51.4% had irritability symptoms. Low age was a potential risk factor for anxiety symptoms. Female sex was a potential risk factor for anxiety and depression symptoms. A COVID-19 death in the family or environment was a potential risk factor for depression and irritability symptoms. Exposure to COVID-19 information on television and on the internet was a potential risk factor for anxiety, depression, and irritability symptoms. In conclusion, this study revealed that the COVID-19 outbreak may have serious effects on the mental health of children, and the study highlighted potential risk factors.
This study evaluates the associations among the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavioral disorders (DBD) in the context of their relationships with reactive-proactive aggression and anxiety sensitivity in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The sample consisted of 342 treatment-naive children with ADHD. The severity of ADHD and DBD symptoms were assessed via parent- and teacher-rated inventories. Anxiety sensitivity, reactive-proactive aggression and severity of anxiety and depression symptoms of children were evaluated by self-report inventories. According to structural equation modeling, depression and anxiety scores had a relation with the DBD scores through reactive-proactive aggression. Results also showed a negative relation of the total scores of anxiety sensitivity on DBD scores, while conduct disorder scores had a positive relation with anxiety scores. This study suggests that examining the relations of reactive-proactive aggression and anxiety sensitivity with internalizing and externalizing disorders could be useful for understanding the link among these disorders in ADHD.
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