The impact of COVID-19 related lockdown measures on self-reported psychopathology and health-related quality of life in German adolescents

Abstract

The impact of school-closings on adolescents’ mental health and well-being in the management of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is subject to ongoing public debate. Reliable data to inform a balanced discussion are limited. Drawing on a large ongoing multi-site project in Germany, we assessed differences in self-reported psychopathology in a matched convenience-sample of adolescents assessed pre- (November 26, 2018 to March 13, 2020; n = 324) and post the first lockdown (March 18, 2020 to August 29, 2020; n = 324) early 2020 in Germany. We found no evidence for an increase in emotional and behavioral problems, depression, thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts, eating disorder symptoms, or a decrease in general health-related quality of life. Reported suicide plans significantly decreased from 6.14 to 2.16%. Similarly, conduct problems decreased in the post-lockdown period. Family risk-factors did not moderate these findings. The influence of socioeconomic status on emotional and behavioral problems as well as depression decreased during the lockdown. Based on the present findings, the first school-closing in Germany had no immediate and severe impact on adolescents’ well-being. However, caution is warranted as our data covers a fairly small, affluent sample over a limited time-span and long-term consequences cannot be ruled out.

A systematic scoping review of research on COVID‐19 impacts on eating disorders: A critical appraisal of the evidence and recommendations for the field

“…Eight studies (participant n s = 48–8,613) assessed a cohort of participants during the pandemic and compared their symptom severity to a different cohort assessed prior to the pandemic (Calugi et al, 2021 ; Christensen et al, 2021 ; Kim et al, 2021 ; Koenig et al, 2021 ; Muzi et al, 2021 ; Richardson et al, 2020 ; Spettigue et al, 2021 ; Zhou & Wade, 2021 ). Only three of these studies (37%) reported no significant differences in certain demographic or clinical characteristics between the two cohorts (Calugi et al, 2021 ; Keonig et al 2021; Zhou & Wade, 2021 ).…”

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Impact on Families’ Mental Health: The Role Played by Parenting Stress, Parents’ Past Trauma, and Resilience

“…In this context, the few studies conducted during the so-called “second wave” of COVID-19 have confirmed the long-term effects on mental health and increased psychopathological symptoms as the pandemic continues [ 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Moreover, studies have evidenced the presence of psychological suffering due to the COVID-19 outbreak among children as well [ 21 , 22 ], with higher emotional and behavioral symptoms, and social problems with peers [ 23 , 24 , 25 ]. Beyond the direct effects of COVID-19 on children’s psychological well-being, a key role of parents’ perception of the pandemic as a traumatic event and the resulting peritraumatic distress has also been reported [ 17 ].…”

“…International literature focused on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on families has reported psychopathological symptoms in parents and children [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], and that parents’ psychopathological problems due to COVID-19 may affect children’s psychological functioning both directly than via high parenting stress levels [ 5 , 18 , 28 , 29 ]. To prevent the short- and long-term negative outcomes related to these processes on parents’ and children’s psychological well-being, it is important to increase the knowledge on families’ factors that may exacerbate or mitigate the risk exerted by psychopathological risk and parenting stress experienced by parents during the pandemic.…”

“…During the COVID-19 pandemic, a growing body of research has shown increased psychopathological symptoms among parents and children [ 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ], and significant associations with parenting stress levels [ 5 , 18 , 20 ], parents’ past trauma [ 40 , 41 ], and parents’ resilience [ 6 , 45 , 50 ]. The significant mediation role played parenting stress levels on the relationship between parent’s psychopathological symptoms due to COVID-19 pandemic and children’s psychopathological problems has also been established [ 5 , 18 , 28 , 29 ].…”

Psychosoziale Auswirkungen der Covid-19 Pandemie auf Kinder und Jugendliche in Deutschland

“…Die Ergebnisse der Studie von Koenig et al [12] , die ebenfalls in der ersten Welle erhoben wurde, fanden in ihrer Stichprobe von n = 324 Jugendlichen keine Hinweise auf eine Zunahme von emotionalen oder Verhaltensproblemen, Depressionen, Essstörungssymptomen oder eine Abnahme der allgemeinen gesundheitsbezogenen Lebensqualität. Möglicherweise kommt es hier zu Verzerrungen bezogen auf den Zeitpunkt der Datenerhebung bzw.…”