Study problems and depressive symptoms in adolescents during the COVID-19 outbreak: poor parent-child relationship as a vulnerability

Globalization and Health

Marcus Richards¹  Chaowei Fu²  Hao Wang²  Shuyue Yang²  Jingyi Wang²  Haijiang Lin³  Hongbiao Liang³  Xiaoxiao Chen³ 

[1] MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, Institute of Cardiovascular Science, University College London, London, UK;School of Public Health; Key Laboratory of Public Health Safety; NHC Key Laboratory of Health Technology Assessment, Fudan University, 200032, Shanghai, China;Taizhou City Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 318000, Taizhou, Zhejiang Province, China;

关键词: COVID-19;    Adolescents;    Depression;    Study problem;    Parent-child relationship;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12992-021-00693-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundLittle is known about the prevalence of and risk factors for adolescent mental health problems during the COVID-19 outbreak. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms, their association with study-relevant problems, and the moderating effect of parent-child relationship among Chinese adolescents during the school closures.MethodsWe performed a cross-sectional analysis with data collected in middle and high schools in Taizhou, China. Students completed an online survey between April 16 and May 14, 2020. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Children’s Depression Inventory. Three types of study problems were recorded, including having difficulty in studying at home, dislike of remote learning, and excessive screen entertainment time. Parental relationships were categorized into good or normal relationship and poor relationship. Linear regression and logistic regression analyses were conducted to investigate the associations between study-relevant problems and depressive symptoms.ResultsUsing data from 6435 adolescents, we found that the prevalence of depressive symptoms was 17.7%. All the study problem measures were associated with more severe depressive symptoms. There was a moderating effect of the parental relationship on the associations between study problems and depressive symptoms. The association between number of study problems and depressive symptoms was stronger in adolescents with a poor parent-child relationship (regression coefficient 4.34 [95% CI 2.97, 5.72]) than those with a good or normal relationship (2.55 [2.35, 2.75]), p for interaction 0.002, on multivariable adjustment.ConclusionsStudy problems due to school closures were particularly problematic for adolescents who had poor parent-child relationships. Public health initiatives could help students to adjust study habits and improve parent-child relationships, thereby protecting against the development of depression.

【 授权许可】

CC BY