Hôpital Universitaire des Enfants Reine Fabiola/HUDERF - CHU Bruxelles - ULB
" Children's mental health in Belgium during the Covid19 crisis
Abstract The impact of the Covid-19 crisis on children's emotional wellbeing: a comparative mixed-mode study between a group of children with at least one parent employed by a hospital and two other groups of children whose parents do not work for a hospital (one group whose parents are teleworking and another group whose parents are working in a setting that isn't a hospital setting). This study will be carried out by the psychology teams of the Huderf and the Hôpital Erasme in partnership with the child psychiatry department and the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). Background: In the Covid-19 pandemic context, concerns regarding physical health have naturally taken precedence over concerns regarding mental health. However, in the past, studies have shown that, in case of natural disasters, there is an increase in depressive symptoms, substance abuse, post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and domestic violence in the general population (Bland, O'Leary, Farinaro et al., 1996). In Belgium, a study has shown that, in the beginning of the lockdown period, significant psychological distress symptoms were observed both in adolescents and adults (Lorant et Van den Broeck, en cours). Furthermore, it is widely accepted that parental anxiety has a direct influence on the child's level of anxiety (Burstein, Ginsburg, G.S. & Tein, J., 2010). Hospital workers could be more at risk of developing symptoms of psychological distress such as acute stress, tiredness, irritability and a feeling of detachment towards others (Brooks, Webster & Smith, 2020). This tendency is linked to a feeling of helplessness as well as fears for the wellbeing of patients and loved-ones (Sun & Wei, in press). A Belgian study (Lorant et Van den Broeck, en cours) reports that half of all carers feel some type of psychological malaise. Although similar numbers are observed in other groups, the reasons for feeling this way are different: people report an increased level of fear of being a carrier of the virus as well as an increase in workload. This study observed a higher level of distress in younger people. In 15 to 24 year-olds, 64% report a psychological malaise (Lorant et Van den Broeck, en cours). Despite these findings, no studies have, as yet, looked into the psychological impact of the Covid-19 crisis on children and adolescents. Taking into account that the level of parental anxiety has a direct influence on the child's level of anxiety (Burstein, Ginsburg, G.S. & Tein, J., 2010) and that the parental work environment impacts the child's sense of wellbeing (Cho & Ciancetta, 2016), we propose that the current Covid-19 crisis must, on some level, impact the emotional wellbeing of hospital workers' children. Thus, we wish to compare the level of psychological distress in children whose parents are hospital workers and children whose parents are not (i.e. parents who telework and parents who work in settings other than hospitals). Methodology: A prospective and mixed-mode clinical approach. The first part of the study will be quantitative. In this part, we wish to study the level of anxiety in children aged between 8 and 17. Data will be collected using questionnaires (DASS, CBCL, MDI-C) submitted to child and parent. The second part of the study will be qualitative and make use of a semi-directive questionnaire. " 
Funding: Kids Care
Publication References: Bland, S.H., O'Leary, E.S., Farinaro, E., Jossa, F., Trevisan, M. (1996). Long-Term Psychological Effects of Natural Disasters. Psychosomatic Medicine, 58, 18-24. Burstein, M., Ginsburg, G.S. & Tein, J. (2010). Parental Anxiety and Child Symptomatology: An Examination of Additive and Interactive Effects of Parent Psychopathology. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 38, 897–909. doi: 10.1007/s10802-010-9415-0 Lorant, V. & Van den Broeck, K. (en cours). Etude Covid et moi. Institut de Recherche Santé et Société (IRSS), UCLouvain et Université d'Anvers. https://uclouvain.be/fr/instituts-recherche/irss/covid-et-moi.html Yip, P. S. F., & Chau, P. H. (2020). Physical distancing and emotional closeness amidst COVID-19 Crisis. The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, online, doi: https://dx.doi.org/10.1027/0227-5910/a000710
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