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Morales MF, Girard LC, Sawrikar V, MacBeth A. An examination of behavioural and emotional problems in children exposed prenatally to the 27F Chilean earthquake: findings from the ELPI cohort. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023; 58:1065-1073. [PMID: 36799991 PMCID: PMC10261207 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-023-02433-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Associations between prenatal earthquake exposure and children's mental health remain unclear. Moreover, there is a paucity of research using quasi-experimental statistical techniques to diminish potential selection bias. Thus, this study aimed to explore the impact of prenatal exposure to the Chilean earthquake of 2010 on children's behavioural and emotional problems between 1½ and 3 years old using propensity score matching. METHODS Participants included 1549 families from the Encuesta Longitudinal de la Primera Infancia cohort in Chile. Maternal reports using the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL) were used to assess behavioural and emotional problems between 1½ and 3 years old. Information on prenatal earthquake exposure was collected via maternal report. The Kernel matching estimator was used to compare the average treatment effects of children who were exposed to the earthquake compared to those who were not. RESULTS Five of the seven CBCL outcomes were statistically significant after matching and adjustment for multiple testing, suggesting greater difficulties for exposed children which included emotional reactivity, anxious/depressed, sleep problems, attention problems, and aggression (mean difference of 0.69, 0.87, 0.73, 0.85, 3.51, respectively). The magnitude of the effect was small to medium. CONCLUSION Findings contribute to the potential causal inferences between prenatal earthquake exposure and increased behavioural and emotional problems in early childhood. Results suggest that in utero experiences may have long-term consequences for infants' well-being, supporting the need for specific interventions in pregnancy after natural disasters.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Francisca Morales
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
| | | | - Vilas Sawrikar
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Angus MacBeth
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Health in Social Science, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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Kerker BD, Rojas NM, Dawson-McClure S, Gonzalez C. Re-imagining Early Childhood Education and School Readiness for Children and Families of Color in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond. Am J Health Promot 2023; 37:270-273. [PMID: 36646660 DOI: 10.1177/08901171221140641c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
High quality and culturally responsive early childhood education and care (ECEC) for young children before kindergarten is seen as a way to ensure that all children enter school ready to learn. ECEC is even more crucial in the context of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and the disproportionate burden of trauma and stress borne by families of color in disinvested neighborhoods. Remote learning and repeated disruptions to in-person instruction as protocols shifted during waves of the pandemic placed an extra strain on families, and may have increased educational disparities in the U.S. Taken together, these challenges have implications for children's school readiness due to their impact on opportunities for learning at home and in the classroom. This paper explores how ECEC programs can be strengthened to better meet children's needs, and ways in which future research can shed light on these important issues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bonnie D Kerker
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, USA.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, USA
| | - Natalia M Rojas
- Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, USA
| | | | - Cristina Gonzalez
- New York City Department of Education, PS 94, The Henry Longfellow School, Brooklyn, NY, USA
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Deng J, Zhou F, Hou W, Heybati K, Lohit S, Abbas U, Silver Z, Wong CY, Chang O, Huang E, Zuo QK, Moskalyk M, Ramaraju HB, Heybati S. Prevalence of mental health symptoms in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2023; 1520:53-73. [PMID: 36537131 PMCID: PMC9880764 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and its accompanying infection control measures introduced sudden and significant disruptions to the lives of children and adolescents around the world. Given the potential for negative impacts on the mental health of youths as a result of these changes, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances in children and adolescents during the pandemic. We searched major literature databases for relevant cross-sectional or longitudinal studies that included primary and secondary school students or children and adolescents ≤18 years of age. Prevalence values were extracted, logit-transformed, and pooled. Based on 191 included studies with 1,389,447 children and adolescents, we found the pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances to be 31%, 31%, and 42%, respectively. Age, grade levels, education levels, gender, geographical regions, and electronics use were correlated with the prevalence of mental health symptoms. The prevalence of mental health symptoms also increased with time, although signs of recovery and stabilization were also observed. Overall, the results from this review demonstrate the need for increased mental health research, monitoring, and intervention for children and adolescents during the current and future pandemics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiawen Deng
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Fangwen Zhou
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Wenteng Hou
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kiyan Heybati
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Mayo Clinic (Rochester), Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Simran Lohit
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Umaima Abbas
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry (Windsor Campus), University of Western Ontario, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
| | - Zachary Silver
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Chi Yi Wong
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine (Waterloo Regional Campus), McMaster University, Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
| | - Oswin Chang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Physician Assistant Education Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Emma Huang
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Qi Kang Zuo
- Department of Anesthesiology, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, USA.,Faculty of Science, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Myron Moskalyk
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harikrishnaa Ba Ramaraju
- Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Shayan Heybati
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
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