Parental perceptions of children and adolescents' mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic in Argentina.

MARÍA LAURA ANDRÉS; JUAN IGNACIO GALLI; MACARENA DEL VALLE; SANTIAGO VERNUCCI; HERNÁN LÓPEZ MORALES; ROSARIO GELPI TRUDO; LORENA CANET JURIC

Child and Youth Care Forum

Springer

Lugar: New York; Año: 2022

1053-1890

BACKGROUND: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments haveimplemented preventive measures towards reducing infections. These conditions canaffect the mental health of children and adolescents; however, this has not yet beenfully explored.OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to analyze changes in symptomatology andpositive emotions in Argentine children and adolescents since the onset of isolation,based on parent/caregiver report. We analyzed differences based on gender, age,socioeconomic status (SS) and containment measure (and their interactions); theirassociations with symptomatology and positive affect of parents/caregivers; and themoderating effects of sociodemographic factors on these associations.METHODS: A total of 1205 caregivers responded to a survey regarding the mentalhealth of children and adolescents under their care. They also completed a set ofanxiety, depression, and affect measures about themselves.RESULTS: A considerable proportion of parents/caregivers perceived changes in theirchildren?s and adolescents? mental health compared to before the pandemic. Increasedlevels of anxiety-depression, aggression-irritability, impulsivity-inattention, anddependence-withdrawal were reported, as well as alterations in sleeping and eatinghabits, and a reduction in positive affect. Differences were observed according to theirage and containment measure. Finally, we found correlations betweenCorporationparents/caregivers´ symptomatology and that reported about their children oradolescents. Gender, age and SS moderated some of these relationships.CONCLUSIONS: Continued monitoring of child and adolescent mental health is afundamental necessity. We recommend the implementation of early interventionstrategies to prevent the escalation of serious mental health problems, particularly inthose groups that have been most adversely affected since the onset of the pandemic.