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. 2023 Apr;64(4):611-640.
doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13716. Epub 2022 Nov 24.

Annual Research Review: The impact of Covid-19 on psychopathology in children and young people worldwide: systematic review of studies with pre- and within-pandemic data

Tamsin Newlove-Delgado  1 , Abigail Emma Russell  1 , Frances Mathews  1 , Lauren Cross  2 , Eleanor Bryant  1 , Rebecca Gudka  1 , Obioha C Ukoumunne  1   3 , Tamsin J Ford  2
Affiliations

Annual Research Review: The impact of Covid-19 on psychopathology in children and young people worldwide: systematic review of studies with pre- and within-pandemic data

Tamsin Newlove-Delgado et al. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2023 Apr.

Abstract

Background: The high volume and pace of research has posed challenges to researchers, policymakers and practitioners wanting to understand the overall impact of the pandemic on children and young people's mental health. We aimed to search for and review the evidence from epidemiological studies to answer the question: how has mental health changed in the general population of children and young people?

Methods: Four databases (Medline, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsychINFO) were searched in October 2021, with searches updated in February 2022. We aimed to identify studies of children or adolescents with a mean age of 18 years or younger at baseline, that reported change on a validated mental health measure from prepandemic to during the pandemic. Abstracts and full texts were double-screened against inclusion criteria and quality assessed using a risk of bias tool. Studies were narratively synthesised, and meta-analyses were performed where studies were sufficiently similar.

Results: 6917 records were identified, and 51 studies included in the review. Only four studies had a rating of high quality. Studies were highly diverse in terms of design, setting, timing in relation to the pandemic, population, length of follow-up and choice of measure. Methodological heterogeneity limited the potential to conduct meta-analyses across studies. Whilst the evidence suggested a slight deterioration on some measures, overall, the findings were mixed, with no clear pattern emerging.

Conclusions: Our findings highlight the need for a more harmonised approach to research in this field. Despite the sometimes-inconsistent results of our included studies, the evidence supports existing concerns about the impact of Covid-19 on children's mental health and on services for this group, given that even small changes can have a significant impact on provision at population level. Children and young people must be prioritised in pandemic recovery, and explicitly considered in planning for any future pandemic response.

Keywords: Covid-19; children; mental health; pandemic; young people.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
PRISMA diagram
Figure 2
Figure 2
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report GAD‐7
Figure 3
Figure 3
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report MASC
Figure 4
Figure 4
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report CES‐D 20
Figure 5
Figure 5
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report PHQ‐9 or PHQ‐A
Figure 6
Figure 6
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SMFQ
Figure 7
Figure 7
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SCL‐90
Figure 8
Figure 8
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SDQ emotional problems subscale
Figure 9
Figure 9
Meta‐analysis of studies using parent‐report SDQ emotional problems subscale
Figure 10
Figure 10
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SDQ conduct problems subscale
Figure 11
Figure 11
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SDQ hyperactivity/inattention problems subscale
Figure 12
Figure 12
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SDQ peer relationship problems subscale
Figure 13
Figure 13
Meta‐analysis of studies using child‐report SDQ prosocial skills subscale
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

References

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List of included studies

    1. Adachi, M. , Takahashi, M. , Shinkawa, H. , Mori, H. , Nishimura, T. , & Nakamura, K. (2022). Longitudinal association between smartphone ownership and depression among schoolchildren under COVID‐19 pandemic. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 57(2), 239–243. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bélanger, R.E. , Patte, K.A. , Leatherdale, S.T. , Gansaonré, R.J. , & Haddad, S. (2021). An impact analysis of the early months of the COVID‐19 pandemic on mental health in a prospective cohort of Canadian adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 69(6), 917–924. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Bignardi, G. , Dalmaijer, E.S. , Anwyl‐Irvine, A.L. , Smith, T.A. , Siugzdaite, R. , Uh, S. , & Astle, D.E. (2020). Longitudinal increases in childhood depression symptoms during the COVID‐19 lockdown. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 106(8), 791–797. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Browne, D.T. , Wade, M. , May, S.S. , Maguire, N. , Wise, D. , Estey, K. , & Frampton, P. (2021). Children's mental health problems during the initial emergence of COVID‐19. Canadian Psychology, 62(1), 65–72.
    1. Burdzovic Andreas, J. , & Brunborg, G.S. (2021). Self‐reported mental and physical health among Norwegian adolescents before and during the COVID‐19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, 4(8), e2121934. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types