Effects of Covid-19 confinement on the mental health of children and adolescents in Spain

Abstract

In Spain, in order to control COVID-19 transmission, one of the strictest confinement measures in the world for children and teenagers has been implemented. From 14 March to 26 April 2020 underage Spaniards were not allowed to leave their homes, except for reasons of force majeure. This could have consequences on their mental health in both the short and the long term. Thus, the aim of the present study was to explore the consequences of confinement on the mental health of Spanish children and teenagers, at the time when minors had been locked down in their homes between 8 and 10 days. The sample was composed of 590 confined Spanish children and teenagers between 8 and 18 years old. The scales of Depression, Self-esteem, Anxiety, Problems with Emotional Regulation, Rage Control Problems, Integration and Social Competence, Somatic Complaints, Rebellious Behaviour, as well as Awareness of the Problems of the Assessment System for Children and Adolescents (SENA) were used. The results revealed that, during confinement, children and adolescents showed emotional and behavioural alterations. This study, as far as we know, is the first one to explore the psychological consequences of lockdown in minors while it was taking place, with them being the ones directly assessed.

Changes of psychotic-like experiences and their association with anxiety/depression among young adolescents before COVID-19 and after the lockdown in China

“…It should be noted that the anxiety and depression symptoms were also exacerbated among young adolescents across this pandemic, this finding is in line with a growing body of literature that argues that the COVID-19 pandemic generally had adverse effects on youth mental health ( Meherali et al, 2021 ; Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordóñez-Camblor, 2021 ; Ran et al, 2020 ; Singh et al, 2020 ). Although the majority of epidemiological studies during the pandemic adopted a cross-sectional design, a few longitudinal studies emerged and provided support to our findings.…”

“…However, children and adolescents are not a homogeneous population. It was found that children and teenagers were disproportionally impacted by confinement due to COVID-19, with children showing more rebellious behavior and teenagers presenting with more affective symptoms ( Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordóñez-Camblor, 2021 ). Zhou et al suggested that adolescents in higher grades exhibited more severe anxiety and depression symptoms ( Zhou et al, 2020 ).…”

Multiple Mediating Effects of Conflicts With Parents and Self-Esteem on the Relationship Between Economic Status and Depression Among Middle School Students Since COVID-19

“…One consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns and social distancing measures has been a decrease in adolescent self-esteem and an associated increase in depression ( Rossi et al, 2020 ; Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 ). In Spain, children and adolescents were not allowed to leave their homes except for emergencies from mid-March to late April 2020, and during this time, a survey was conducted to examine the impact of such confinement on young people’s wellbeing ( Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 ). One such outcome was a decrease in self-esteem, with girls showing lower self-esteem than boys ( Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 ).…”

“…In Spain, children and adolescents were not allowed to leave their homes except for emergencies from mid-March to late April 2020, and during this time, a survey was conducted to examine the impact of such confinement on young people’s wellbeing ( Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 ). One such outcome was a decrease in self-esteem, with girls showing lower self-esteem than boys ( Pizarro-Ruiz and Ordonez-Camblor, 2021 ). Moreover, although no studies were found examining adolescents specifically since COVID-19, in line with the hypothesis that self-esteem serves as a buffer against negative mental health outcomes, results showed that self-esteem mediated the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression ( Rossi et al, 2020 ).…”

Gender Differences in Lifestyle and Mental Health among Senior High School Students in South Korea

“…Among Turkish senior high school students, exam anxiety was found to have a negative effect on sleep quality [12]. A group of Spanish adolescents found that the mental health of girls was more affected by COVID-19 confinement than boys, exhibiting more anxiety, less self-esteem, more problems with emotional regulation, and more physical dissatisfaction [13]. Depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation were also reported more frequently among girls in studies of a sample of high school students from China and Jordan [9,14].…”