Survey: 1 in 4 caregivers say kids anxious, stressed during pandemic

April 29 (UPI) -- About 1 in 4 children and teens have become angry, anxious or stressed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to parents and caregivers, a study published Thursday by JAMA Network Open found.

In addition, nearly one-third of parents and caregivers surveyed in June and July said the young people in their households have experienced loneliness due to isolation from school and friends, and nearly 15% reported that children or teens in their care showed signs of depression, the data showed.

Before the pandemic, roughly 1 in 4 parents and caregivers said their children were anxious or stressed, and fewer than 1 in 20 parents said their kids had feelings of depression or loneliness at that time.

About 30% of responding parents and caregivers described their kids and teens as "hopeful" -- talking about plans for the future -- since the start of the pandemic, down from nearly 50% before the virus began to spread.

"During the early months of the pandemic, caregivers reported that COVID-19 and the resulting exposure to stress was associated with widespread worsening in the psychological well-being of their children," study co-author Tali Raviv told UPI in an email.

"Given this finding, the primary take-home message for parents is to be alert to changes in their child's mental health, behavior and emotional functioning," said Raviv, a psychologist and associate director of the Center for Childhood Resilience at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

Several studies have reported rising rates of depression and anxiety, as well as other mental health disorders, since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

In addition to concerns over the health threat posed by COVID-19, school and business closures instituted as part of measures to limit spread of the virus have led to feelings of isolation and caused economic stress for many people nationally.

For this study, Raviv and her colleagues surveyed more than 32,000 parents and caregivers -- including grandparents and other relatives, as well as foster parents -- for nearly 50,000 Chicago public school students in June and July.

The survey assessed the impact the pandemic has had on responding households, as well as the perceived psychological well-being of children in kindergarten through grade 12 living in the home.

White parents and caregivers were more likely to report negative mental health effects for their children related to the pandemic than Black or Hispanic parents and caregivers, the researchers found.

For example, nearly one-third of White respondents reported that their children have shown signs of anxiety since the start of the pandemic, compared with 18% of Hispanic and 15% of Black parents and caregivers.

Similarly, 22% of White parents and caregivers said their children have been depressed during the pandemic, while just over 8% of Black and Hispanic respondents did so.

"While most children and teenagers will not experience enduring or serious mental health concerns, parents should be alert to significant changes in mental health and functioning," Raviv said.

"If emotions or behaviors are intense and persistent and interfere with your child's ability to function at school, with friends or with family, we recommend that you seek out a mental health evaluation," she said.