Peer-reviewed article
Effects of the pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents. review and current scientific evidence of the SARS-COV2 pandemic
Del Sol Calderon P, Izquierdo A, Moreno M ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This literature review examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the mental health of children and adolescents, particularly in Spain. School closures and lockdowns led to increased anxiety, depression, sleep disruption, and feelings of loneliness, with different patterns between age groups. Children showed more anxiety and regressive behaviours, while adolescents experienced more isolation, depression, and suicidal ideation. The pandemic also disrupted family environments, increasing domestic violence and parental substance use, while children's screen time addiction increased.
Key points
- Between 28-34% of adolescents showed post-traumatic stress symptoms during the pandemic
- In Spain, approximately 25% of children presented anxiety and/or depression
- Children with pre-existing mental health conditions experienced worsening symptoms, with about 80% reporting deterioration
- Increased screen time and technology addiction were documented, associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression
- Parents observed greater irritability, reduced concentration, and increased loneliness in their children
Limitations
This is a literature review synthesizing findings from multiple studies rather than original research, so it cannot establish causation or provide detailed methodological quality assessment. The document provides limited information on intervention effectiveness or specific study designs of the reviewed literature.
Abstract
Introduction The coronavirus crisis has had an impact on the mental health of children and adolescents Objectives Determine how it has affected this population and what mental pathologies are occurring Methods Literature bibliographic review Results School closures and lockdown have been seen to have produced higher levels of anxiety, anger, and sleep and appetite disruption. On the one hand, the children had more anxiety and regressive behaviors, and the adolescents had more isolation, depressive symptoms and even autolytic ideation. The economic crisis and lockdown have affected the family environment, having reported greater situations of domestic violence and substance use among parents. Studies show a prevalence up to 28-34% of post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents. In Spain it has been determined that ¼ children present anxiety and / or depression. Their parents noticed in them greater irritability, less concentration and greater feelings of loneliness There has been an increase in addiction to new technologies. This is partly a method of maintaining social relationships, but prolonged use is associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Regarding to patients with mental pathology, they have presented greater tantrums, especially ADHD and ASD, due to the loss of structure and routine. Conclusions Confinement and fear of COVID have affected mental health of children and adolescents, with anxiety and depression occurring more frequently. Is highlighted the presence of feelings of loneliness among adolescents and the increase in the use of screens. Finally close to 80% of patients who had mental health conditions referred that this crisis had worsed their symtponms