COVID-19 & Mental Health

We are no longer recruiting for this study. Thank you to everyone who reached out and helped us reach our recruitment goals!

We recruited children and youth aged 0–18 and their families to participate in this research project. Parents and children (if 10 years of age or older) could participate as a pair or separately.

We asked families to complete online questionnaires about your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and how the COVID-19 pandemic had impacted their family.

The study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on child and family mental health, well-being and functioning. This includes understanding how children and their parents were feeling as a result of the COVID-19 emergency measures, in addition to the impact on their relationships (i.e. with friends and extended family members) and daily activities (ex. physical activity, eating habits, screen time, and sleep).

This study was conducted in collaboration with the SickKids Child and Youth Psychiatry Outpatient Program, the Province of Ontario Neurodevelopmental (POND) Network, The Applied Research Group for Kids (TARGet Kids!), and Spit for Science.

Watch Dr. Crosbie’s Interview with Global News

For more information, email:

covid.mentalhealth@sickkids.ca

Together, we are learning about the mental health impact of COVID-19 among families.
Your research participation told us that school, screen time, family, & socialization were important for youth mental health:

SCHOOL

Children and youth who participated in school clubs and sports during the pandemic had less depressive symptoms.

School closures led to decreased…motivation, emotional engagement, and sense of belonging, which were associated with poor mental health and worsened by screen time.

Your participation informed guidelines that got children and youth back to in-person school.

SCREEN TIME

Children and youth who had higher screen time experienced worse mental health whether they were watching TV, playing video games, or doing online learning.

There is a relationship between parent screen use and children screen use. Both are linked to more child mental health symptoms and behavioural problems.

Your participation was heard by Ontario COVID-19 Science Table to promote mindful screen use for parents, children, and youth.

FAMILY

There is a relationship between parent mental health and child mental health.

The pandemic led to many challenges with housing, employment, and finances, leading some families to experience worse mental health and more stress.

When possible, sharing parenting is beneficial for mental health and structure at home is beneficial for younger children.

Your participation raised awareness about the effects of the pandemic on the mental health of families.

SOCIALIZATION

Accessing mental health and autism services for children and youth was harder during COVID-19. Prior and continued access (telehealth, hybrid) was essential for their mental health.

Children and youth who had more meaningful and active social connections had better mental health during the pandemic.

Your participation informed decisions to open safe spaces for socialization and ensure supports for children and youth with special education needs.

You have told us that the pandemic had big and lasting impacts on the mental health of you and your family.
With your voice, we can continue to learn how to best support children’s mental health.

Infographic describing study results from COVID-19 and Mental health research.

COVID-19 & Mental Health in the news!

COVID-19 & Mental Health publications

Cost, K.T., Mudiyanselage, P., Unternaehrer, E., Korczak, D.J., Crosbie, J., Anagnastou, E., Monga, S., Kelley, E., Schachar, R., Maguire, J., Arnold, P., Burton, C.L., Georgiades, S., Nicolson, R., Birken, C.S., Charach, A. (2023). The role of parenting practices in parent and child mental health over time. BJPsych Open. 9(5): e147.
Park C, Tsujimoto KC, Cost KT, Anagnostou E, Birken CS, Charach A, Monga S, Kelley E, Nicolson R, Georgiadis S, Burton C, Crosbie J, Korczak DJ. (2023). The Distinction Between Social Connectedness and Support When Examining Depressive Symptoms Among Children and Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Child Psychiatry and Human Development Nov 7 Online ahead of print.
Vibert B, Segura P, … Crosbie J, … Takahashi N, Takahashi R, Tamon H, Tancredi R, Vitiello B, Zuddas A, Leventhal B, Merikangas K, Milham MP, Di Martino A. (2023). CRISIS AFAR: an international collaborative study of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and service access in youth with autism and neurodevelopmental conditions. Molecular Autism. 14(1):7.
Tsujimoto, K. C., Cost, K. T., Laforge-Mackenzie, K., Anagnostou, E., Birken, C. S., Charach, A., Monga, S., Kelley, E., Nicolson, R., Georgiadis, S., Lee, N., Osokin, K., Burton, C., Crosbie, J., & Korczak, D. (2023). Disruption to Education During COVID-19: School Nonacademic Factors Are Associated with Children’s Mental Health. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 44(2), e95.
Tsujimoto, K. C., Cost, K. T., LaForge-MacKenzie, K., Anagnostou, E., Birken, C. S., Charach, A., Monga, S., Kelly, E., Nicolson, R., Georgiadis, S., Lee, N., Osokin, K., Arnold, P., Schachar, R., Burton, C., Crosbie, J., & Korczak, D. J. (2022). School and learning contexts during the COVID-19 pandemic: Implications for child and youth mental health. Current Psychology. 42(34): 1-17.
LaForge-MacKenzie, K., Tombeau Cost, K., Tsujimoto, K.C., Crosbie, J., Charach, A., Anagnostou, E., Birken, C.S., Monga, S., Burton, C.L., Nicholson, R., Georgiades, S., Kelley, E., Korczak, D.J. (2022). Participating in extracurricular activities and school sports during the COVID-19 pandemic: Associations with child and youth mental health. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living. Aug 29;4:936041.
Lin, J., Pol, S., Korczak, D., Coelho, S., Segovia, A., Science, M., Matava, C.T., Parekh, R.S., Crosbie, J., Caldeira-Kulbakas, M., Carroll, S., Greenwood, JL., Panzera, G., Imgrund, R., Back to School COVID 19 Study Group, Anthony, SJ. (2022). Impact of COVID-19 Public Health Protocols on Teachers Instructing Children and Adolescents During an In-Person Simulation. Journal of the Canadian Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 31(2): 52-63.
Coelho, S., Segovia, A., Anthony, S.J., Lin, J., Pol, S., Crosbie, J., Science, M., Matava, C.T., Parekh, R.S., Caldeira-Kulbakas, M., Carroll, S., Greenwood, J.L., Panzera, G., Imgrund, R., Osokin, K., Back to School COVID-19 Study Group, Korczak, DJ., (2022). Return to School and Mask-Wearing in Class During COVID-19: Student Perspectives from a School Simulation Study. Paediatr Child Health. May 5;27(Suppl 1):S15-S21.
Korczak D.J, Cost K.T, LaForge-MacKenzie K., Anagnostou E., Birken C.S., Charach A., Monga S., Crosbie J. (2022). The Ontario COVID-19 & Kids Mental Health Study: A study protocol for the longitudinal prospective evaluation of the impact of emergency measures on child and adolescent mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. British Medical Journal Open, 12(3):e057248.
Rizeq, J., Korczak, D.J., Tombeau Cost, K., Anagnostou, E., Charach, A., Monga, S., Birken, C., Kelley, E., Nicolson, R., Burton, C., Crosbie, J. (2021). Vulnerability pathways to mental health outcomes in children and parents during COVID-19. Current Psychology, Nov 19;1-11.
Li, X., Vanderloo, L.M., Keown-Stoneman, C.D.G., Tombeau Cost, K., Charach, A., Maguire, J.L., Monga, S., Crosbie, J., Burton, C.L., Anagnostou, E., Georgiades, S., Nicolson, R., Kelley, E., Ayub, M., Korczak, D.J., Birken, C.S. (2021). Screen use and mental health symptoms in Canadian children and youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Network Open, Dec 1;4(12):e2140875.
Cost, K., Crosbie J., … Burton, CL, Schachar, RJ, Arnold PD, Korczak, D. (2021). Mostly worse, occasionally better: Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Canadian children and adolescents. European Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Feb 26: 1-14.