Longitudinal trajectories of mental health and loneliness for Australian adolescents with‐or‐without neurodevelopmental disorders

The impact of Covid‐19 school lockdowns

Dados Bibliográficos

ID21344579
AutoresStephen Houghton (0000-0002-6744-1068, Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia Perth WA Australia, autor correspondente), Michael J Kyron (0000-0002-4862-1047, The University of Western Australia), Michael Kyron (Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia Perth WA Australia), David Lawrence (0000-0001-5464-5830, Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia Perth WA Australia), Simon C Hunter (0000-0002-3922-1252, The University of Western Australia), John Hattie (0000-0003-3873-4854, Graduate School of Education The University of Melbourne Melbourne Vic. Australia), Amy Carroll (0000-0001-9668-6227, School of Education Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia), Annemaree Carroll (School of Education Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences The University of Queensland Brisbane Qld Australia), Corinne Zadow (0000-0001-5932-5991, Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia Perth WA Australia), Wai Chen (0000-0002-0477-7883, Graduate School of Education The University of Western Australia Perth WA Australia)
Ano2022
Volume63
Fascículo11
Páginas1332-1343
Data de publicação2022-11-01
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoJournal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 0021-9630 • E-ISSN: 1469-7610
EditoraWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/jcpp.13579
PMID35194802
OpenAlexW4213420601
IdiomaEN
Citações recebidas10
Referências citadas41

BACKGROUND: The impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic school lockdowns on the mental health problems and feelings of loneliness of adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is hypothesized to be greater than that of their non-NDD peers. This two and a half year longitudinal study compared changes in the mental health and loneliness of Western Australian adolescents pre-COVID-19 (November 2018 and April 2019), immediately prior to COVID-19 school lockdowns (March 2020), and post schools reopening (July/August 2020). METHODS: An age-and-gender matched sample of 476 adolescents with-or-without NDDs completed online assessments for mental health and loneliness. RESULTS: Adolescents with NDDs reported elevated levels of adverse mental health across all four waves of data collection. These young people experienced little change in mental health problems and feelings of loneliness over time, and any increase during school lockdowns returned to, or fell below pre-COVID-19 levels once schools reopened. In comparison, adolescents without NDDs experienced significant increases from a low baseline in depression symptoms, externalizing symptoms, feelings of isolation, and having a positive attitude to being alone, and evidenced a significant decline in positive mental wellbeing. Quality of friendships were unaffected by COVID-19 school lockdowns for all adolescents regardless of NDD status. Of the adolescents with NDDs, those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder reported a significant increase in positive mental wellbeing following school lockdowns. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescents with NDDs emerged relatively unscathed from COVID-19 school lockdowns and the short term impacts associated with these were not maintained over time. These findings should be considered in the context of this study's geographical location and the unpredictability of school lockdowns. Learning to live with school lockdowns into the future may be a critical element for further investigation in the context of interventions

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) · Developmental psychology · Loneliness · Longitudinal study · Mental health · Psychiatry · Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) · Autism Spectrum Disorder Research · Childhood Cancer Survivors' Quality of Life · Clinical Psychology · COVID-19 and Mental Health · Medicine · Psychology · Virology