Journal Publication

Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 among Children and College Students: A Systematic Review

Published: January 2022

Author(s): Jad Elharake, Amyn Malik, Walter Gilliam, Saad Omer & Faris Akbar

Researchers perform a meta analysis of studies between January 2020 and July 2021 on children and college students, finding both groups reported more negative mental health factors than before the pandemic.

Analyzing five studies on children and 16 on college students, researchers found that both groups reported feeling more anxious, depressed, fatigued, and distressed than prior to the pandemic. Results also indicated factors that were associated with more severe self reported mental health outcomes, such as living in rural communities and having friends or family members involved in the health care system. Conclusions may inform policy makers and educators as they attempt to mitigate the mental health impacts of COVID-19 and related isolation on American youth.

Abstract and Citation

Elharake, J.A., Akbar, F., Malik, A.A. et al. Mental Health Impact of COVID-19 among Children and College Students: A Systematic Review. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01297-1

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic led to a worldwide lockdown and school closures, which have placed a substantial mental health burden on children and college students. Through a systematic search of the literature on PubMed and Collabovid of studies published January 2020–July 2021, our findings of five studies on children and 16 studies on college students found that both groups reported feeling more anxious, depressed, fatigued, and distressed than prior to the pandemic. Several risk factors such as living in rural areas, low family socioeconomic status, and being a family member or friend to a healthcare worker were strongly associated with worse mental health outcomes. As schools and researchers discuss future strategies on how to combine on-site teaching with online courses, our results indicate the importance of considering social contacts in students’ mental health to support students at higher risk of social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Publication Link

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10578-021-01297-1

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