Background The outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019 has caused unprecedented disruption to the structure of children's daily lives due to school closures, online learning, strict social distancing measures, limited access to outdoor activities and many other restrictions. Since children are more susceptible to stress than adults and there is a growing concern about the potential debilitating consequences of COVID-19 for children's mental health, the present review aims to provide empirical evidence on the groups who are most at risk of mental health problems and uncover the risk and protective factors of children's mental health. Methods A systematic search was performed, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, in the electronic databases Web of Science (including SSCI and A&HI) and EBSCOhost (including ERIC, MEDLINE and APA PsycArticles and APA PsycINFO), for any empirical studies published between January 2020 and February 2022 that focused on children ≤ 12 years old. Results An initial search identified 2,133 studies. A total of 30 studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. The evidence showed that many children were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and experienced internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Worsened child mental health outcomes reflected socioeconomic inequalities as most at-risk children had parents with low educational attainment, were from families of low socioeconomic status and lived in small homes. Key risk factors were identified, including unhealthy lifestyle behaviors (extended screen time, sleep disturbances and less physical activity), increased pandemic-related stressors among parents and deteriorated mental health of parents, which were directly or indirectly associated with the pandemic safety measures, such as home confinement or social distancing. Protective factors including parents' resilience, positive parent-child relationship and school connectedness in relation to children's mental health were reported. Conclusion The overall results highlight the urgent need for the implementation of tailor-made interventions for children with signs of internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Health promotion and prevention strategies by the government to maintain the mental health of children, particularly those from lower SES families who are at higher risk of worsened mental health are essential for post-pandemic policies.

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.975936/pdf

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's mental health: A systematic review

Research has demonstrated disparities in depressive symptoms among people who are marginalized. However, more work should examine depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens, recognizing that multiple systems of privilege and oppression interlock to create unique struggles where multiple marginalized identities meet. Recent methodological developments have advanced quantitative intersectionality research using multilevel modeling to partition variance in depressive symptoms to person-level sociodemographic variables and intersectional-level social strata. The purpose of this study is to leverage these methods to examine trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas through an intersectional lens. Multilevel modeling was used to examine the longitudinal trajectories of depressive symptoms among 3575 young adults from 24 colleges in Texas assessed seven times between Fall 2014 and Spring 2018. Intersectional identities included sex, race/ethnicity, and sexual and gender minority identities. The model examined time nested within individuals and individuals nested within intersectional social strata. Young adults in Texas experienced an increase in depressive symptoms from 2014–2018. Those with female, Hispanic, AAPI, other race/ethnicity, or LGBTQ + identities experienced more depressive symptoms. After controlling for the main effects of the sociodemographic variables, 0.08% of variance in depressive symptoms remained attributed to the effects of intersectional identities. Evaluating disparities in depressive symptoms through an intersectional lens offers a more complete description of the epidemiology of depressive symptoms. Communities and institutions that serve marginalized people should consider the elevated burden of depressive symptoms that marginalized people may carry, and integrate culturally competent psychoeducation, assessments, and therapies where possible. 

Trajectories of depressive symptoms among young adults in Texas 2014–2018: a multilevel growth curve analysis using an intersectional lens

Aims While physical activity appears to confer protection against depression, the relationship between sedentary behaviour and mental health is uncertain. Self-reported methods provide information about context although there may be error in the quantification of sedentary behaviour. Accordingly, we examined associations of both device-measured and self-reported sedentary behaviour with depression. Method Participants (n=4,704; 52.4% Female; aged 46-48) were drawn from the 1970 British Cohort Study. Sitting time and moderate-vigorous physical activity was measured using a thigh-worn accelerometer device (ActivPAL) over a seven day period. A range of self-reported sedentary behaviours was measured to provide context. Depression diagnosis was captured using a combination of self-reported consultation with a physician and use of anti-depressant medication. Malaise inventory was used to assess depressive symptoms. Results Relative to those who spent 10 hr/d) had increased odds of depression diagnosis (odds ratio= 1.48 [95% confidence interval 1.05-2.08]). There was no association between self-reported TV viewing and depression diagnosis (1.07; 0.71-1.63). We observed protective associations between moderate-vigorous physical activity and depression diagnosis (highest tertile vs. the lowest tertile; 0.70;0.49-1.00). Associations of sitting time and physical activity with depression were mutually independent. Relative to 3 hours of internet weekday usage were associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms (1.60;1.30-1.97 and 1.63;1.32-2.03, respectively). Conclusion Device-measured sitting is associated depression diagnosis, although less consistent associations are observed with self-reported sedentary behaviours. Regular physical activity and reducing sedentary time may be beneficial for prevention of depression.

https://medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.03.13.20035451v1.full.pdf

Association between device measured and self-reported sitting in relation to depression: the 1970 British Cohort Study

Parenting and Adolescent Health: Mechanisms of Stress-Disease Comorbidity

Introduction: Sedentary time and depressive symptoms are positively associated in elderly adults and adults with chronic disease; however, little is known about this relationship in generally healthy young adults. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between objectively measured sedentary time and depressive symptoms in a large sample of healthy young adults. Methods: Time spent sedentary and in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) was measured in 430 participants (49% men; 28 ± 4 years; 25.5 ± 3.3 kg/m2) using the SenseWear Mini Armband over a 10-day period. The Profile of Mood States depression scale was administered to assess depressive symptoms. Independent samples t tests investigated differences in MVPA, time spent sedentary, and Profile of Mood States scores between males and females. Linear regression analyses, adjusting for MVPA, sex, and body mass index, were employed to examine associations between sedentary time and depressive symptoms. Results: Mean time spent sedentary while awake was 681 ± 94 min/d. Holding MVPA constant, depressive symptoms were positively associated with sedentary time (&bgr; = 1.80; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.54). This association was statistically significant in males (&bgr; = 2.06; P < 0.01; R2 = 0.59) but not females (P = 0.10). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms are positively associated with time spent sedentary in healthy young US adults, independent of MVPA, particularly in men. A reduction in sedentary time may provide a valuable, low cost, option in the prevention of depressive symptoms.

Depressive Symptoms Are Positively Associated with Time Spent Sedentary in Healthy Young US Adults

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Depressive Symptoms Are Positively Associated with Time Spent Sedentary in Healthy Young US Adults