Dataset Information

Socioeconomic conditions and children's mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: An intersectional analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children and adolescents are highly vulnerable to the impact of sustained stressors during developmentally sensitive times. We investigated how demographic characteristics intersect with socioeconomic dimensions to shape the social patterning of quality of life and mental health in children and adolescents, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We used data from the prospective SEROCoV-KIDS cohort study of children and adolescents living in Geneva (Switzerland, 2022). We conducted an intersectional Multilevel Analysis of Individual Heterogeneity and Discriminatory Accuracy by nesting participants within 48 social strata defined by intersecting sex, age, immigrant background, parental education and financial hardship in Bayesian multilevel logistic models for poor health-related quality of life (HRQoL, measured with PedsQL) and mental health difficulties (measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire).

Results

Among participants aged 2-17 years, 240/2096 (11.5%, 95%CI 10.1-12.9) had poor HRQoL and 105/2135 (4.9%, 95%CI 4.0-5.9) had mental health difficulties. The predicted proportion of poor HRQoL ranged from 3.4% for 6-11 years old Swiss girls with highly educated parents and no financial hardship to 34.6% for 12-17 years old non-Swiss girls with highly educated parents and financial hardship. Intersectional strata involving adolescents and financial hardship showed substantially worse HRQoL than their counterparts. Between-stratum variations in the predicted frequency of mental health difficulties were limited (range 4.4%-6.5%).

Conclusions

We found considerable differences in adverse outcomes across social strata. Our results suggest that, post-pandemic, interventions to address social inequities in HRQoL should focus on specific intersectional strata involving adolescents and families experiencing financial hardship, while those aiming to improve mental health should target all children and adolescents.

SUBMITTER: Lorthe E

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10407575 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Socioeconomic conditions and children's mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: An intersectional analysis.

Lorthe Elsa E Richard Viviane V Dumont Roxane R Loizeau Andrea A Perez-Saez Javier J Baysson Hélène H Zaballa Maria-Eugenia ME Lamour Julien J Pullen Nick N Schrempft Stephanie S Barbe Rémy P RP Posfay-Barbe Klara M KM Guessous Idris I Stringhini Silvia S

SSM - population health 20230723

<h4>Background</h4>Children and adolescents are highly vulnerable to the impact of sustained stressors during developmentally sensitive times. We investigated how demographic characteristics intersect with socioeconomic dimensions to shape the social patterning of quality of life and mental health in children and adolescents, two years into the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Methods</h4>We used data from the prospective SEROCoV-KIDS cohort study of children and adolescents living in Geneva (Switzerland, ...[more]

PMID: 37560087

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Project description:BackgroundAlthough mental distress and quality of life (QoL) impairments because of the pandemic have increased worldwide, the way that each community has been affected has varied.AimsThis study evaluated the impact of social distancing imposed by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) on Brazilians' mental health and QoL.MethodIn this cross-sectional community-based online survey, data from 1156 community-dwelling adults were gathered between 11 May and 3 June 2020. We examined independent correlates of depression, anxiety and QoL, including sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, optimism/pessimism and spiritual/religious coping. Dependent variables were assessed using the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire for depressive symptoms, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale for anxiety symptoms, and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-BREF for QoL. Correlates of depressive and anxiety disorder were estimated using logistic regression.ResultsThere were high levels of depressive symptoms (41.9%) and anxiety symptoms (29.0%) in participants. Negative spiritual/religious coping was positively correlated with depressive disorder (odds ratio (OR) = 2.14 95% CI 1.63-2.80; P < 0.001) and with anxiety disorder (OR = 2.46 95% CI 1.90-3.18; P < 0.001), and associated with worse social and environmental QoL (P < 0.001). Healthcare professionals were less likely to have depressive symptoms (OR = 0.71, 95% CI 0.55-0.93; P < 0.001). Participants with friend/family with COVID-19 scored lower on psychological and environmental QoL (P < 0.05). Participants with a longer duration of social isolation were less likely to experience anxiety disorder (OR = 0.99, 95% CI 0.98-0.99; P = 0.004).ConclusionsWe found high levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and low levels of QoL in Brazil, which has become a pandemic epicentre. Several characteristics were associated with negative mental health symptoms in this study. This information may contribute to local health policies in dealing with the mental health consequences of COVID-19.

Dataset Information

Socioeconomic conditions and children's mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: An intersectional analysis.

Background

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Socioeconomic conditions and children's mental health and quality of life during the COVID-19 pandemic: An intersectional analysis.

Similar Datasets

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