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. 2022 Apr 25;19(9):5220.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph19095220.

Quality of Life and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents after the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Large Population-Based Survey in South Tyrol, Italy

Verena Barbieri  1 , Christian Josef Wiedermann  1   2 , Anne Kaman  3 , Michael Erhart  3   4   5 , Giuliano Piccoliori  1 , Barbara Plagg  1   6 , Angelika Mahlknecht  1 , Dietmar Ausserhofer  1 , Adolf Engl  1 , Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer  3
Affiliations

Quality of Life and Mental Health in Children and Adolescents after the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Large Population-Based Survey in South Tyrol, Italy

Verena Barbieri et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Methodological heterogeneity of studies and geographical variation limit conclusions about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of youth. This study aimed to explore the health-related quality of life and mental health of children and adolescents in the second year of the pandemic in South Tyrol, Italy.

Methods: An online survey representative for the age and gender of the children and adolescents in South Tyrol was conducted among 5159 families with children and adolescents aged 7-19 years, between 28 May and 16 June 2021. The survey collecting parental ratings and self-rated questionnaires from children and adolescents aged 11-19 years included instruments to measure health-related quality of life (KIDSCREEN-10), mental health problems (SDQ), anxiety (SCARED), and depression (CES-DC). The results were compared with data from corresponding studies conducted in Germany.

Results: Decreased health-related quality of life and increased conduct problems, peer-related mental health problems, anxiety, and depressive and psychosomatic symptoms in children and adolescents observed in the second year of the pandemic in Germany were confirmed in the second year in South Tyrol. Children and adolescents with low socioeconomic status, a migration background, and limited living space were significantly affected. Female sex and older age were associated with increased psychosocial problems and a positive family climate supported the mental health of children and adolescents during the pandemic.

Conclusions: Confirmation of findings of decreased health-related quality of life and increased emotional problems after the first year of the pandemic supports the ongoing call for low-threshold health promotion, prevention, and early intervention programs to support children and adolescents who have been severely affected by the pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; anxiety; children and adolescents; depression; mental health; quality of life.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Prevalence of self- and parent (proxy)-reported low HRQoL in children and adolescents of COPSY South Tyrol 2021, stratified by age and gender. The x-axis represents the percentage of scholars categorized “low” by the KIDSCREEN-10 index as described in Materials and Methods. Abbreviations: y, years; n.s., not significant; ***, p < 0.001.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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