Examining Children and adolescent mental health trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a year of the Co-SPACE study.
Examining Children and adolescent mental health trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic: Findings from a year of the Co-SPACE study.
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在新冠疫情期间，一个主要关注点是年轻人的心理健康状况。在这项研究中，我们描绘了疫情13个月期间儿童和青少年的心理健康轨迹，并检验家庭、同伴和个人层面的因素是否与轨迹类别相关。
这项研究聚焦于Co - SPACE研究的一个子样本，该样本包含3322名儿童和青少年（年龄4 - 16岁），其父母在2020年3月至2021年5月期间在时间点0完成了一项调查，并至少完成了一次后续调查。我们使用增长混合模型，通过《优势与困难问卷》来检验情绪、行为以及多动/注意力不集中方面困难的轨迹，并使用多项逻辑回归模型来评估与个体轨迹类别相关的因素。
年轻人心理健康的平均趋势似乎与国家关于疫情的指导方针的变化相符。增长混合模型中凸显个体差异的不同趋势表明，一个五轨迹模型最能解释情绪问题的变化，而四轨迹模型最能解释多动/注意力不集中和行为问题的变化。虽然大多数年轻人遵循低稳定（62% - 85%）或中度稳定（28%）的症状轨迹，但14% - 31%的人经历了非常高、高稳定或不断增加的心理健康困难。遵循高稳定轨迹的年轻人更有可能有特殊教育需求和/或神经发育障碍，其父母报告更高程度的痛苦和亲子冲突，并且更不可能至少有一个亲密朋友。
大多数年轻人适应良好，经历低稳定症状，但近三分之一的人经历了高稳定或不断增加的心理健康困难。有复杂需求的年轻人和心理痛苦程度较高的父母尤其容易受到高稳定问题的影响，而有良好同伴关系的人则较不容易受影响。这项研究为在未来封锁和学校关闭的情况下，通过有针对性的干预措施来改善父母和年轻人的福祉可解决的潜在因素提供了见解。
这项研究使用Co - SPACE研究的数据来检验疫情13个月期间儿童和青少年的心理健康轨迹，以及家庭、同伴和个人层面的因素是否与轨迹类别相关。我们发现大多数年轻人适应良好，经历低稳定症状，但近三分之一的人经历了高稳定或不断增加的心理健康困难。有复杂需求的年轻人和心理痛苦程度较高的父母尤其容易受到高心理健康困难的影响，而有良好同伴关系的人则较不容易受影响。这项研究为在未来封锁和学校关闭的情况下，通过有针对性的干预措施来改善父母和年轻人的福祉可解决的潜在因素提供了见解。
A major concern throughout the COVID‐19 pandemic has been on young people's experiences with mental health. In this study we mapped children and adolescents' mental health trajectories over 13 months of the pandemic and examine whether family, peer, and individual‐level factors were associated with trajectory membership. This study focuses on a sub‐sample from the Co‐SPACE study of 3322 children and adolescents (aged 4–16 years) for whom parents completed a survey at Time 0 and at least one follow‐up survey between March 2020 and May 2021. We used growth mixture models to examine trajectories in emotional, conduct, and hyperactivity/inattention difficulties using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and multinomial logistic regression models to estimate factors associated with individual trajectory membership. The average trend in young people's mental health appeared to follow changes in national guidelines regarding the pandemic. Distinct trends in GMM models highlighting individual differences showed that a 5‐trajectory model best explained the changes in emotional problems whilst 4‐trajectory models best explained variation in hyperactivity/inattention and conduct problems. While most young people followed low stable (62%–85%) or moderate stable (28%) symptom trajectories, 14%–31% experienced very high, high stable or increasing mental health difficulties. Young people following high stable trajectories were more likely to have special educational needs and/or neurodevelopmental disorders, parents reporting higher levels of distress and parent‐child conflict, and were less likely to have at least one close friend. Most young people adapted well and experienced low stable symptoms, but nearly one third experienced high stable or increasing mental health difficulties. Young people with complex needs and parents with higher psychological distress were particularly vulnerable to high stable problems while those with positive peer relationships were less vulnerable. This study offers insight into potential factors that can be addressed using targeted interventions to improve the wellbeing of parents and young people in the event of future lockdowns and school closures. This study used data from the Co‐Space Study to examine children and adolescents' mental health trajectories over 13 months of the pandemic and whether family, peer, and individual‐level factors were associated with trajectory membership. We found that most young people adapted well and experienced low stable symptoms, but nearly one third experienced high stable or increasing mental health difficulties. Young people with complex needs and parents with higher psychological distress were particularly vulnerable to high mental health difficulties while those with positive peer relationships were less vulnerable. This study offers insight into potential factors that can be addressed using targeted interventions to improve the wellbeing of parents and young people in the event of future lockdowns and school closures.