Chandelier
Senior Member (Voting Rights)
Long-term trajectories of social adjustment and emotional/behavioral problems in pediatric post-acute COVID-19
However, evidence regarding the long-term trajectories of post-acute symptoms remains limited.
We examined long-term emotional and behavioral trajectories in children following COVID-19 infection.
Eighty-four children (aged 6–16) with a confirmed COVID-19 were initially enrolled.
Of these, 69 completed the three-year follow-up assessment and were included in the present analyses.
Parents completed assessments approximately three months post-infection, retrospectively rating their child’s behavior preceding infection and during the two weeks prior to the post-COVID assessment.
An age- and sex-matched control group (n = 94) completed identical assessments.
The COVID-19 group was reassessed approximately three years post-infection.
Results showed that the COVID group showed significant impairments in school functions, internalizing problems, conduct problems, irritability and focus in post-COVID conditions compared to pre-COVID baseline.
At three-year follow-up, most impairments resolved to pre-COVID levels.
However, prosocial functioning among females remained impaired.
Additionally, longer time since infection correlated with fewer school function problems (r = -0.26, p = 0.041) and lower levels of internalizing symptoms (r = -0.26, p = 0.038).
In conclusion, post-COVID-19 children exhibited marked post-acute impairments in school functioning, increased emotional and behavioral problems followed by heterogeneous recovery trajectories.
Web | DOI | Scientific Reports
Tsai, Yun-Jie; Chang, Luan-Yin; Gau, Susan Shur-Fen; Shang, Chi-Yung
Abstract
COVID-19 has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in children.However, evidence regarding the long-term trajectories of post-acute symptoms remains limited.
We examined long-term emotional and behavioral trajectories in children following COVID-19 infection.
Eighty-four children (aged 6–16) with a confirmed COVID-19 were initially enrolled.
Of these, 69 completed the three-year follow-up assessment and were included in the present analyses.
Parents completed assessments approximately three months post-infection, retrospectively rating their child’s behavior preceding infection and during the two weeks prior to the post-COVID assessment.
An age- and sex-matched control group (n = 94) completed identical assessments.
The COVID-19 group was reassessed approximately three years post-infection.
Results showed that the COVID group showed significant impairments in school functions, internalizing problems, conduct problems, irritability and focus in post-COVID conditions compared to pre-COVID baseline.
At three-year follow-up, most impairments resolved to pre-COVID levels.
However, prosocial functioning among females remained impaired.
Additionally, longer time since infection correlated with fewer school function problems (r = -0.26, p = 0.041) and lower levels of internalizing symptoms (r = -0.26, p = 0.038).
In conclusion, post-COVID-19 children exhibited marked post-acute impairments in school functioning, increased emotional and behavioral problems followed by heterogeneous recovery trajectories.
Web | DOI | Scientific Reports