How did the mental health symptoms of children and adolescents change over one month in early lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK?
This study set out to explore how mental health symptoms in children and adolescents changed over a month of full lockdown in the UK in response to the pandemic.
Key findings:
- The findings highlighted particular deteriorations in mental health symptoms among pre-adolescent children
- Between baseline and follow-up, there was a small increase in emotional symptoms and conduct problems and a larger increase in hyperactivity/inattention for children (age 4 to 10 years)
- For adolescents (age 11-16 years), emotional symptoms reduced over time, but there was little change in conduct problems and a small increase in hyperactivity/inattention
- Children and young people in low-income households and those with special educational needs and/or neurodevelopmental disorders exhibited elevated symptoms (and caseness) at both time points.