Journal of the Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Korean Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (대한소아청소년정신의학회)
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Impact of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Mental Health Among School Students in Korea During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Youngsoo Jang (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Hye-mi Cho (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Young-Eun Mok (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Su-hyuk Chi (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Changsu Han (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital) ;
  • Hyun-suk Yi (Gwangmyung City Health Center) ;
  • Moon-Soo Lee (Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital)
  • Received : 2022.11.10
  • Accepted : 2022.12.26
  • Published : 2023.04.01
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Abstract

Objectives: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had various effects on mankind, especially children and adolescents. Because children and adolescents spend a lot of time at school, COVID-19 has had a great impact on school mental health. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged COVID-19 on school mental health. Methods: We prepared self-report questionnaires for depression (Children's Depression Inventory, CDI), anxiety (Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), and post-traumatic stress (Primary Care Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PC-PTSD) for administering to students aged between 7 and 18 years, recruited by a COVID-19 psychological prevention support group in the Gwangmyeong Mental Health Welfare Center for 2 years, in 2020 and 2021. Results: For children aged 7-12 years, there was no significant difference between the years 2020 and 2021 in the assessment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Conversely, for adolescents aged 13-18 years, there was a significant increase in the scale scores (CDI, PC-PTSD, and GAD-7). Conclusion: Prolonged COVID-19 might have had a significant impact on the mental health of adolescents who spent a lot of time at school. When comparing the years 2020 and 2021, middle and high school students were more affected by COVID-19 than elementary school students.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This research was supported by the COVID-19 Disaster Psychological Support Program through the Gwangmyeong Mental Health Welfare Center funded by the Gwangmyeong City Health Center.

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