Psychological observations of the parents on their children during COVID-19 pandemic social isolation in Jazan, Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND: Social isolation was imposed as the best preventive measure worldwide for the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the psychological effects of this measure among Saudi families in the Jazan province to assess its impact on children during this period. METHODS: This study was a cross-section investigation conducted in the Jazan province that is located in the southwest part of the country. Data collection was conducted during May 2020 during the country-wise curfew in Saudi Arabia and targeted parents living in Jazan with a minimum of one child above the age of 5 years using a self-administered web-based questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 408 valid questionnaires were collected. About 50.5% (n = 206) of the parents reported their children as having abnormal psychological observation at the time of their social isolation, which is significantly associated with living status, the number of children (especially when the family has fewer than two children <5 years old), and if any relatives or friends got COVID-19 or quarantined. The psychological effects ranged from anxiety, sleeping disturbance, fear of death, feeling frustrated or bored and violence. CONCLUSION: Our findings, although limited to observations of parents concerning their children, suggest that social isolation could be a possible risk factor for the development of more serious psychological ramifications in the future such as depression and anxiety.