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Review
. 2022 Nov 19;12(11):1313-1322.
doi: 10.5498/wjp.v12.i11.1313.

Impacts of COVID-19 on children and adolescents: A systematic review analyzing its psychiatric effects

Italo Wanderson de Moura Gabriel  1 , Danielly Gonçalves Sombra Lima  2 , Jeully Pereira Pires  3 , Nélio Barreto Vieira  2 , Aloisio Antonio Gomes de Matos Brasil  2 , Yara Talita Gomes Pereira  4 , Erika Galvao de Oliveira  5 , Hildson Leandro de Menezes  6 , Nadia Nara Rolim Lima  7 , Alberto Olavo Advíncula Reis  8 , Ruan Neto Pereira Alves  9 , Uanderson Pereira da Silva  9 , Jucier Gonçalves Junior  10 , Modesto Leite Rolim-Neto  2
Affiliations
Review

Impacts of COVID-19 on children and adolescents: A systematic review analyzing its psychiatric effects

Italo Wanderson de Moura Gabriel et al. World J Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Objective: To summarize the most relevant data from a systematic review on the impact of COVID-19 on children and adolescents, particularly analyzing its psychiatric effects.

Methods: This review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines and included experimental studies (randomized-individually or pooled-and non-randomized controlled trials), observational studies with a group for internal comparison (cohort studies-prospective and retrospective-and case-control) and qualitative studies in the period from 2021 to 2022.

Results: The search identified 325 articles; we removed 125 duplicates. We selected 200 manuscripts, chosen by title and selected abstracts. We excluded 50 records after screening titles and abstracts, as they did not meet the inclusion criteria. We retrieved 150 records selected for a full reading. We excluded 90 text articles and we selected 25 records for the (n) final. Limitations: Due to the short period of data collection, from 2021 to 2022, there is a possibility of lack of relevant studies related to the mental health care of children and adolescents. In addition, there is the possibility of publication bias, such as only significant findings being published.

Conclusion: The impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of children and adolescents is of great concern to child and youth psychiatry. Situations such as fear, anxiety, panic, depression, sleep and appetite disorders, as well as impairment in social interactions caused by psychic stress, are punctual markers of pain and psychic suffering, which have increasing impacts on the mental health panorama of children and adolescents globally, particularly in vulnerable and socially at-risk populations.

Keywords: Adolescent psychiatry; COVID-19; Child psychiatry; Kids; Mental health; Teens.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict-of-interest statement: There are no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Diagram of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA).
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