Pediatric home confinement due to COVID¿19: Somatic and anxiety spectrum consequences

Abstract

Aims and Objectives: We aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 related homeconfinement on the paediatric population by focusing on anxiety, behavioural distur-bances and somatic symptoms.Background: To limit the spread of the COVID-19 outbreak, governments have im-posed nationwide lockdowns to prevent direct contact; this has affected everydaylives and activities such as attending school classes. Such isolation may have impactedchildren¿s anxiety levels.Design and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study usinga web-based anonymous questionnaire from 22¿26 April, 2020, among children(N = 2,292) in Spain. For children below 7 years of age, parents reported the chil-dren¿s behavioural, emotional and somatic symptoms and family environment dataon a questionnaire designed by the researchers. Children over 7 years answered theRevised Children¿s Manifest Anxiety Scale either independently or with their parents¿assistance.Results: Children over 7 years, boys in particular, scored high on the anxiety spec-trum. Moreover, participants who knew someone who had suffered from COVID-19at home or whose parent was directly involved in the pandemic, obtained higher TotalAnxiety scores. Significantly high values were found in all aspects of anxiety amongthose who feared infection or whose parents been unemployed. Of the childrenbelow 7 years, 56.3% had four or more anxiety-related symptoms, the most frequentof which were tantrums, emotional changes, restlessness and fear of being alone. Thenumber of symptoms reported was significant when someone in the family home hadbeen infected with COVID-19.Conclusions: The COVID-19 home confinement had a significant impact on children,causing anxiety, behavioural problems and somatic manifestations.Relevance to clinical practice: Nurses play a key role in screening children who haveexperience confinement owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in order to detect earlyanxiety symptoms using tele-health. Suitable direct interventions can then be imple-mented or interdisciplinary manage could be started.