Liat Ashkenazi-Hoffnung (Israel)
Schneider Children's Medical Center Departement of Day HospitalizationAuthor Of 1 Presentation
MENTAL HEALTH AMONG CHILDREN WITH LONG COVID DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Abstract
Backgrounds:
A growing number of studies report that individuals of all ages infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience long-term persistent symptoms, known as long-COVID (LC) or post COVID-19 condition. The current study is one of the first attempts to examine the consequences of LC on children’s mental health and academic function.
Methods
We compared the mental health of 103 children diagnosed with LC to a control group of 113 children, aged 4-18 years. Groups were prospectively recruited from November 2020 to August 2021. The LC group included children presenting to a designated multidisciplinary clinic for LC at a tertiary center with microbiologically- proven SARS-CoV-2 infection. Parents completed mental health questionnaires, evaluating the child’s and the parent’s distress, functional impairment, and exposure to COVID-19 stressful events. Bivariate Pearson correlation tests were used to explore the relationships between the study’s variables. Two multiple regression analyses examined the variables contributing to children’s mental health scores.
Results:
Long COVID was associated with a higher functional impairment as children with LC exhibited a higher rate of online school absence, compared to controls. In addition, LC was associated with a higher rate of self-reported memory loss, compared to controls. However, other functional aspects such as peer relationships, engagement in physical activities, and emotional-behavioral problems did not differ between LC children and controls. Significant predictive factors for emotional-behavioral problems included parental concerns regarding their child’s functioning and economic difficulties
Conclusions/Learning Points:
LC was associated with impairments in some aspects of children’s cognitive-academic functioning, but not with emotional-behavioral problems. Thus, interventional programs addressing school attendance in this population are warranted. Also, addressing parents' economic stress and concerns to their children’s emotional adjustment during the pandemic are important for reducing pandemic-related emotional-behavioral problems among children.
Presenter of 1 Presentation
MENTAL HEALTH AMONG CHILDREN WITH LONG COVID DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC
Abstract
Backgrounds:
A growing number of studies report that individuals of all ages infected with SARS-CoV-2 may experience long-term persistent symptoms, known as long-COVID (LC) or post COVID-19 condition. The current study is one of the first attempts to examine the consequences of LC on children’s mental health and academic function.
Methods
We compared the mental health of 103 children diagnosed with LC to a control group of 113 children, aged 4-18 years. Groups were prospectively recruited from November 2020 to August 2021. The LC group included children presenting to a designated multidisciplinary clinic for LC at a tertiary center with microbiologically- proven SARS-CoV-2 infection. Parents completed mental health questionnaires, evaluating the child’s and the parent’s distress, functional impairment, and exposure to COVID-19 stressful events. Bivariate Pearson correlation tests were used to explore the relationships between the study’s variables. Two multiple regression analyses examined the variables contributing to children’s mental health scores.
Results:
Long COVID was associated with a higher functional impairment as children with LC exhibited a higher rate of online school absence, compared to controls. In addition, LC was associated with a higher rate of self-reported memory loss, compared to controls. However, other functional aspects such as peer relationships, engagement in physical activities, and emotional-behavioral problems did not differ between LC children and controls. Significant predictive factors for emotional-behavioral problems included parental concerns regarding their child’s functioning and economic difficulties
Conclusions/Learning Points:
LC was associated with impairments in some aspects of children’s cognitive-academic functioning, but not with emotional-behavioral problems. Thus, interventional programs addressing school attendance in this population are warranted. Also, addressing parents' economic stress and concerns to their children’s emotional adjustment during the pandemic are important for reducing pandemic-related emotional-behavioral problems among children.
Poster Author Of 2 e-Posters
EP309 - RECURRENT ACUTE MASTOIDITIS AMONG HOSPITALIZED CHILDREN: INCIDENCE AND CHARACTERISTICS (ID 1282)
