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The psychological effects of COVID-19-related containment in children: The E-COCCON French study

I Claudet1, C Marchand-Tonel2, M Kelly-Irving3

  • 1Pediatric Emergency Department, Children's Hospital, CHU Toulouse, France; UMR 1295, Inserm, Paul Sabatier University, UPS, Toulouse III, France.

Archives De Pediatrie : Organe Officiel De La Societe Francaise De Pediatrie
|February 4, 2022
PubMed

Insights

The first COVID-19 lockdown led to posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in 17% of French children. Factors like gender, age, and lack of outdoor space influenced symptom development, highlighting health inequalities.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Psychology
  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The initial COVID-19 containment measures, including lockdowns, presented a significant risk for developing posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms in children.
  • Understanding the prevalence and risk factors for PTS in pediatric populations during such unprecedented public health crises is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the prevalence of PTS symptoms in children within six weeks following the end of the first French lockdown (March 17–May 11, 2020).

Main Methods:

  • A prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted via telephone survey in France from May 15 to July 2, 2020.
  • Parents of children aged 8–15 years were recruited through social media, media outlets, and hospital networks.
  • Posttraumatic stress symptoms were assessed using the Child Revised Impact of Events Scale (CRIES-13), with a cutoff score of 30 indicating potential cases.

Main Results:

  • A total of 379 children were included in the study.
  • PTS symptoms were identified in 17% of the children, with a higher prevalence in girls (20.5%) than boys (13.5%).
  • Younger children, those lacking private outdoor space (OR: 7.8), and children with parents in high-exposure professions or high fear of COVID-19 exhibited higher PTS symptom rates.

Conclusions:

  • Children exhibited PTSD symptoms following the first COVID-19 lockdown, with prevalence linked to gender, age, lockdown conditions, and parental perceptions.
  • Parental fears and lockdown conditions disproportionately affected blue-collar families, indicating an exacerbation of health inequalities.
  • These findings underscore the psychological impact of pandemics on children and the need to address socioeconomic disparities in mental health support.

Keywords:
COVID-19ChildrenContainmentLockdownPosttraumatic stress syndrome

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