Up To 60% Of Children & Adolescents Worldwide Experienced ‘Strong Distress’ During COVID-19 Pandemic

Between 18% and 60% of children and adolescents (aged 18 and under) reported “strong distress” from January through September 2020 during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. About 47.4% of girls and 59.6% of boys reported anxiety. About 19.4% of girls and 21.9% of boys reported depressive symptoms during this time. The findings were reported in a meta-analysis of 36 studies that included outcomes about the impact of COVID-19-related school closures through September 2020.

Screen time during COVID-19 increased by 70% to 245% among children and adolescents. The meta-analysis did . . .