Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Background: A growing number of studies point to a high mental health burden among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly concerning depression and anxiety. However, the study quality and effect direction are heterogeneous in the existing studies with a lacking overview for the European continent. Therefore, research gaps exist particular regarding (1) the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on depression and anxiety among children and adolescents in European countries with (2) a methodologically high-quality summarizing review of studies. Therefore, the planned systematic review aims to close these gaps. Methods: The systematic review was registered in the Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) and the protocol was prepared in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) statement. Search strategy was peer reviewed according to the evidence-based checklist Peer Review of Electronic Search Strategies (PRESS). Systematic search was conducted in six databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science and WHO COVID-19 database). Literature screening will be conducted independent by two authors, disagreement will be solved by a third author. Risk of bias (RoB) will be assessed using the RoB instrument for non-randomized studies of exposures. Certainty of evidence will be evaluated by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach adapted to the use of non-randomized studies. Also, subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias will be performed. Discussion: This systematic review will summarize the actual overall prevalence of depression and anxiety among children and adolescents in European countries compared to a pre-pandemic baseline with an expert opinion on the clinical relevance and extrapolation of depression and anxiety in children and adolescents in the next years. In addition, it aims identifying geographic and pandemic-policy differences and designate particularly vulnerable risk groups within European children and adolescents.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Ludwig‐Walz et al. (2022) studied this question.