Covid-19: Lockdown leads to spike in children likely to report depression, experts say – News

Depressive symptoms linked to increased food intake and increased screen time, says Dr Mirza, speaking at a conference in the UAE

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Parents who interacted with their children and teens during the lockdown were successful in mitigating the effects of social distancing, a mental health expert said on Wednesday.

Dr Hassan Mirza, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Behavioral Medicine, speaks at the 25th International Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) Congress to be held for the first time in the UAE in 2022 at Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat hospital, these children are less likely to suffer from depression.

Dr Mirza shared with attendees the results of a study conducted in Oman to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms or emotional difficulties among young people during the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly during the lockdown.

The study showed that 13.9% of children and adolescents showed symptoms of depression during Covid-19. “That’s higher than what’s typical for this age group, which is around 2% to 8%,” Dr. Mirza said.

The study aims to screen for depressive symptoms during Covid to understand the psychological impact of lockdown and social distancing and to provide a solid basis for tailoring relevant mental health services to mitigate any future pandemic or any adversity that may result Impact Dr. Mirza explained that they struggled to access mental health services efficiently and effectively.

The study included 445 participants between the ages of 8 and 18. Nearly 70% of online survey responses were completed by parents. “About 18.9% of children and adolescents who were likely to have depressive symptoms directly from the Covid-19 pandemic population,” he said, adding that it was young children who had increased food intake. “They were 1.8 times more likely to have depression; it was associated with higher food intake,” Dr. Mirza said.

Increased smartphone use has also been linked to the development of depressive symptoms. “As screen time increased, they were 2.7 times more likely to experience depressive symptoms,” he said.

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“Not so long ago, mood disorders like depression were considered adult disorders because of the long-held belief that children were not mature enough, cognitively and developmentally, to experience the core symptoms of depression. Generally ,'” he added, however, research over the past decade has shown that they are common in childhood and adolescence.

Mood disorders carry a high risk of self-disabling behavior, especially during adolescence, he said. “This affects school performance and leads to a high risk of substance abuse,” he said.

When it came to the Covid 19 lockdown, Dr Mirza said there had been a wealth of research investigating the psychological impact of the lockdown, and these studies started to emerge after the pandemic was declared. “Scores were high in relation to depression, anxiety and emotional difficulties. All mental health issues were prevalent and severe during the lockdown,” he said.

According to Dr Mirza, the difficulty of online learning has also affected the children. “Some schools are able to offer online learning, but it’s not very effective. Also, when it comes to online learning, it’s difficult for kids who have difficulty with attention and behavioral issues to engage,” he said.

Depressive symptoms could be prevented in the early stages of a pandemic or adversity by identifying risk factors and developing psychological interventions for vulnerable populations, he said. “One thing that can be done is having the right platform and infrastructure to access services and educational materials,” he said.