COVID-19 &
Mental Health

We are looking for over 6,000 children ages 0-18 and their families to participate in this research project. Parents and children (if 10 years of age or older) can participate as a pair or separately.

We will ask families to complete online questionnaires about your thoughts, feelings, behaviours, and how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted your family.

The study aims 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 are 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 is 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.

We are looking for participants!

Criteria:

Families can participate in this study if they:

  • Have children between 0-18 years of age


For more information or to participate, email:

covid.mentalhealth@sickkids.ca


As a token of appreciation, you and your child, if they are eligible to participate, will be given $10 gift cards for completing the first two surveys. You will also be entered into a draw for a $100 gift card for every subsequent survey you complete.

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. View article 

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. View abstract 

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. View article 

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. View abstract 

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. View article 

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. View article. 

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. View article 

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. View article. 

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. View article 

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. View article 

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. View article 

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. View article