A study on behavioural problems in children and adolescents during COVID pandemic and its impact on the mental wellbeing of parents- an online survey

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented changes in the lives of billions of children due to national containment measures and school closures. The minors are particularly vulnerable to behavioural difficulties amidst the uncertainties. Increased responsibilities in the parents are adding to their mental turmoil. Hence, it is imperative that the issue is addressed to halt an emerging Mental Health pandemic. AIMS: The study aimed at assessing behavioral problems of children and adolescents during home confinement and its correlation with mental well-being of the parents. METHOD: The study used an internet-based questionnaire covering sociodemographic and clinical variables, completed by 250 parents of children between 4-17 years of age. Strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ) for behavioral problems in children and Adult Well-being Scale for parents was used for evaluation. Statistical analysis was done by Pearson Correlation and ANOVA test. RESULTS: Emotional (t=2.102, p=0.05) and Hyperactivity (t=2.15, p=0.03) scores were more in boys as compared to girls. Conduct (t=4.87, p<0.01), Hyperactivity (t=4.46, p<0.01) and emotional (t=2.54, p=0.01) problems were positively associated with the use of online platforms with increased screen time showing a statistically significant correlation with psychopathology. Total difficulty score showed positive correlation with depression (r=0.28, p<0.01), anxiety (r=0.27, p<0.01) and irritability (r=0.34, p<0.01) in parents. DISCUSSION: The results reflect that children’s disruptive and emotional problems increased with the increased screen time which could be due to social skills deficit in an unexpected setting of school closure and home confinement. This negatively impacts parents’ well-being as shown in our results in keeping with previous studies conducted. CONCLUSION: The study revisits the negative impact of behavioral problems in children on parental wellbeing which has increased manifold in stressful times of today. The importance of ameliorating distress of parents as well as targeting problematic behaviors is crucial for positive mental health.