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Longitudinal Associations Between COVID-19 Stress and the Mental Health of Children With ADHD
Ainsley Summerton1, Susannah T Bellows1, Elizabeth M Westrupp1,2
1Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia.
Objective:
To investigate the longitudinal associations between COVID-19 induced stress (related to COVID-19 restrictions/changes), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, oppositional symptoms, and mental health outcomes (negative affect, anxiety, depression, and irritability) in children with ADHD during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Method:
Parents of 140 Australian children with ADHD (aged 5-17 years) completed an online survey in May 2020 during stay-at-home restrictions and 12-months later.
Results:
Baseline COVID-19 stress was associated with increased total ADHD symptom severity (β = .21, p = .007) and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms (β = .23, p = .002) at 12-months, after accounting for covariates (i.e., child age, gender, ADHD medication, socio-economic status, and baseline symptoms). Despite some indication of associations between baseline COVID-19 stress and 12-month oppositional symptoms and negative affect, these were attenuated when adjusting for baseline symptoms.
Conclusions:
The study provides initial evidence of the medium-term impacts of pandemic-related stress for children with ADHD.
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