Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38093365›Full record

ArticleChild and adolescent psychiatry and mental health2023

Factors associated with mental health of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands.

L J G Krijnen, W M van Eldik, T T M Mooren, B van Rooijen, P A Boelen, A L van Baar, M Spuij, M Verhoeven, M R Egberts

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 28% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

L J G Krijnen *Child and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands. l.j.g.krijnen@uu.nl.
W M van Eldik *Youz, Parnassia Psychiatric Institution, The Hague, The Netherlands.
T T M MoorenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
B van RooijenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
P A BoelenDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
A L van BaarChild and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
M SpuijChild and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
M VerhoevenChild and Adolescent Studies, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.
M R EgbertsDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Utrecht University · NLArq Psychotrauma Expert Group · NLParnassia Groep · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and accompanying societal measures have impacted children and their families all over the world. Little is known about the factors associated with mental health outcomes in young children (i.e., 1 to 6 years old) during the pandemic. The current study aimed to examine associations with potential risk and protective factors, i.e., direct COVID-19 exposure factors as well as within-family characteristics.

methodsCaregivers of children aged 1-6 years old were recruited in the Netherlands to participate in an ongoing longitudinal research project. In the current study, baseline data-collected during the 1st year of the pandemic-are reported. The final sample consisted of 2762 caregivers who answered questionnaires assessing negative and positive dimensions of their children's mental health (i.e., anxiety, depressive symptoms, anger, sleep problems, positive affect, and self-regulation). Furthermore, caregivers provided information regarding: (1) Direct COVID-19 related factors, i.e., parental infection and death of a family member or close friend due to COVID-19, (2) Family related COVID-19 factors, i.e., parental perceived impact of the pandemic and COVID-19 related parent-child emotion regulation strategies (i.e., active, avoidant and information-focused strategies), (3) General caregiver's distress, i.e., parental mental health, parental feelings of rejection towards their child. Regression analyses were used to examine associations with children's mental health.

resultsDirect COVID-19 related factors were not associated with more mental health problems in the children, though parental COVID-19 infections were related with less anger in children. Family related COVID-19 factors and caregiver's distress were related with children's mental health. Higher parental perceived negative impact of the pandemic, lower parental perceived positive impact of the pandemic, more avoidant as well as more active and information-focused parent-child emotion regulation strategies, more caregiver's mental health problems and more parental feelings of rejection towards their child were related with more mental health problems in the child.

conclusionDirect exposure to COVID-19 was not related with more mental health problems in the child. Family related COVID-19 factors and caregiver's distress appear to play a more important role for young children's mental health. Findings may inform prevention and intervention programs for potential future global crises as well as other stressful events.

Indexed as

CaregiversChild well-beingCOVID-19Early childhoodMental healthPandemicPre-schoolersProtective factorsRisk factorsToddlers

Identifiers

PMID38093365
PMCPMC10720157
OpenAlexW4389672494

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.