The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on anxiety and depression in children and adolescents

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of COVID19 has wreaked havoc over the world, killing more than 2 million people and isolating billions of people due to directives namely to stay inside and avoid contact with others. Research shows that isolation significantly affects the emotional wellbeing of the general population. Childhood and teenage years are crucial to a person's mental health because it is during this period that their emotional and social behaviours are formed and maintained. The Research Question was formulated using the PICO framework: In children and adolescents(P), what was the impact of COVID19 pandemic(I) on anxiety and depression(O) when compared with the pre-COVID19 period( C)? Method: The PICO components were mined for keyword combinations that would later be utilised in the search. The keywords were paired with search tools and limiters. Additionally, Inclusion and exclusion criteria were used for the search. Inclusion criteria included studies that included full text and peer-reviewed articles whilst exclusion criteria included adults and articles that aren’t related to COVID19.The only critical evaluation instrument used for this dissertation was the CASP instrument to evaluate the literature. The outcome of the search included one meta-analysis, one systematic review that also included a meta-analysis and three systematic reviews. Results: Although the study's findings were unclear, the five key studies did find that girls were more likely than boys to suffer from anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications and recommendations: Confounding factors that may have affected the outcome should be investigated such as demographic variables. It is strongly recommended that nurses collaborate with multidisciplinary teams in order to provide emotional support to children and adolescents. Conclusion: In general, the findings indicated a rise in the prevalence of anxiety and depression among children and adolescents subsequent to the pandemic. However, due to the inconsistent nature of the results, a conclusive determination could not be made.