Mental health during COVID-19 in children and youth who experienced victimization

What is it about?

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the daily lives of children and youth, raising concerns about their mental health. Data included over 11,000 children and youth in Ontario, aged 4 to 18, who completed mental health assessments. Two types of mental health difficulties were examined: internalizing behaviours (such as anxiety, sadness, or withdrawal) and externalizing behaviours (such as aggression, defiance, or difficulty managing impulses). Results showed that children and youth referred for clinical services during the pandemic, were less likely to show externalizing difficulties, compared to the pre-pandemic period, but there were no significant changes in internalizing difficulties. Differences were also found between age groups, sex, socioeconomic status and trauma history. Specifically, adolescents and females were more likely to experience internalizing problems, while younger children, males, and those from lower-income households were more likely to experience externalizing problems. Children who had faced multiple forms of victimization, such as bullying, abuse, or neglect, were the most likely to struggle with both internalizing and externalizing difficulties. Understanding which children and youth are most at risk both during the pandemic, and pre-pandemic periods, can help parents, educators, health professionals, and policy makers provide better support and ensure that children’s mental health needs are addressed during times of crisis and beyond.

Featured Image

Photo by Becca Ayala on Unsplash

Photo by Becca Ayala on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Children and youth with histories of polyvictimization are at significantly higher risk for both emotional and behavioral difficulties, highlighting the need for routine trauma screening in clinical and community settings. Reduced referrals during the COVID-19 pandemic within this sample of clinically referred children and youth may reflect barriers to detection and service access, underscoring the importance of maintaining multiple pathways for identification (e.g., schools and community services) during crises. Mental health presentations differ by developmental stage and sex supporting the need for developmentally and gender-informed interventions.