Review: The mental health implications for children and adolescents impacted by infectious outbreaks – a systematic review

Abstract

Background This systematic review synthesized available research on the psychological implications for children and adolescents who either were directly or indirectly exposed to an infectious outbreak. On this basis, the current paper aims to provide recommendations for future research, practice and policy regarding children during pandemics. Method A total of 2195 records were retrieved from the PsycINFO, SCOPUS and MEDLINE databases, and three from Google Scholar. Results Including only those papers that focused on children or adolescent’s mental health in association with respiratory infectious outbreaks, 11 articles were identified. The majority of research utilized qualitative or retrospective hospital record data. Children and adolescents reported fear and anxiety, as well as disruptions to their day to day routines as a result of outbreaks. However, children were also able to demonstrate resilience during outbreaks with the right support. Conclusions Children’s psychological response to the outbreak appeared to be largely attributed to how their parents, healthcare providers and the media communicated the event. Recommendations for policy, practitioners and researchers concerning the current COVID‐19 outbreak concludes the paper.

Anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptoms among high school students in china in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown

“…The pandemic and associated public health measures such as nationwide or regional lockdowns were linked with increased stressful events and limited social interactions, and thus could lead to many mental health problems such as anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD) ( Xiong et al, 2020 ). Given that adolescence is a developmental stage that seems especially sensitive to stress exposures and social interaction ( Berger et al, 2021 ), the effect of the pandemic on adolescent mental health has garnered great concern. High prevalence rates of anxiety, depression and PTSD symptoms were reported among adolescents during the pandemic in cross-sectional studies (Zhang et al, 2002; Murata et al, 2021 ).…”

Increase in depression and anxiety disorder diagnoses during the COVID-19 pandemic in children and adolescents followed in pediatric practices in Germany

“…The coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns also impacted the daily lives of children and youth, partly due to the closure of schools and the absence of outdoor activities. A number of Asian and European studies have shown that a significant proportion of children and adolescents are suffering from mental health problems as a result of the coronavirus pandemic or the related measures (4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17).…”

The COVID-19 pandemic: an opportunity to make mental health a higher public health priority

“… 18 , 30 Advice to parents on supporting their children and communicating with them about the pandemic is likely to benefit children's mental health. 31 Support is required for those at higher risk of developing mental health problems, including healthcare workers, people with prior mental health problems and ethnic minority groups. The pandemic has been associated with reports of increased rates of intimate partner violence, child abuse and substance misuse, and professionals need to be vigilant for these problems occurring.…”