J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry.  2023 Apr;34(2):63-68. 10.5765/jkacap.220036.

Impact of the Coronavirus Disease Pandemic on Mental Health Among School Students in Korea During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Jang Y
• Cho Hm
• Mok YE
• Chi Sh
• Han C
• Yi Hs
• Lee MS

• KMID: 2541501
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5765/jkacap.220036

Abstract

Objectives
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has had various effects on mankind, especially children and adolescents. Because children and adolescents spend a lot of time at school, COVID-19 has had a great impact on school mental health. In this study, we investigated the effect of prolonged COVID-19 on school mental health.
Methods
We prepared self-report questionnaires for depression (Children’s Depression Inventory, CDI), anxiety (Korean version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children; Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), and post-traumatic stress (Primary Care Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, PC-PTSD) for administering to students aged between 7 and 18 years, recruited by a COVID-19 psychological prevention support group in the Gwangmyeong Mental Health Welfare Center for 2 years, in 2020 and 2021.
Results
For children aged 7–12 years, there was no significant difference between the years 2020 and 2021 in the assessment of depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress. Conversely, for adolescents aged 13–18 years, there was a significant increase in the scale scores (CDI, PC-PTSD, and GAD-7).
Conclusion
Prolonged COVID-19 might have had a significant impact on the mental health of adolescents who spent a lot of time at school. When comparing the years 2020 and 2021, middle and high school students were more affected by COVID-19 than elementary school students.

Keyword

COVID-19; Children and adolescents; School mental health