Objective
School closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak have affected the world's students physically, socially, and psychologically with an increase in the number of children and adolescent with anxiety, depression and drug abuse.
Methods
This study included 380 children evaluated in the outpatient Child Psychiatric Clinic, and were divided into two groups: before the lockdowns (BLD) (n = 248), from 1.2019 to 2.2020, and during the lockdowns (LD) (n = 132), from 3.2020 to 4.2021.
Results
When comparing the LD to BLD there was increase in suicide attempts (9.8% Vs 2.8%), in the use of psychotherapy (81% Vs. 56%), and a decrease in the diagnoses of behavior disorders (29.5% Vs 44.8%), and ADHD (29.5% vs. 50%) and decrease in stimulants use (22.7% Vs. 38%).
Conclusion
Many children may develop educational, social, emotional and behavioral gaps alongside the loss of skills in dealing with everyday problems due to social isolation during LD, emphasizing the importance of the education system.
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