Mental health among children with long COVID during the COVID-19 pandemic

A growing number of studies report that persons of all ages, infected with SARS-CoV-2, may experience long-term persistent symptoms, known as long COVID (LC) or post COVID-19 condition. This is one of the first studies examining the consequences of LC on children’s mental health. In this case–control study, we compared select mental health aspects of 103 children diagnosed with LC to a control group of 113 children uninfected with SARS-COV-2; all 4–18 years old. Both groups were assessed via parents’ questionnaires. In comparison to the control group, children with LC exhibited more memory difficulties. However, no group differences emerged in other functional aspects (connection with friends and engagement in physical activities), problems with concentration, or levels of emotional-behavioral problems (externalizing, internalizing, ADHD, and PTSD symptoms). We also found that children with LC had greater exposure to COVID-19-related stressors. Higher levels of parental worries regarding their children’s functioning and economic difficulties at home significantly predicted higher levels of children’s emotional-behavioral problems and were better predictors than the child’s age, social functioning, or LC diagnosis. Conclusion: LC was associated with impairments in some aspects of children’s memory which may relate to academic functioning, but not with higher rates of emotional-behavioral problems, thus warranting interventional programs addressing school functioning and cognitive abilities in this population. Additionally, parents’ economic stress and worries regarding their child’s emotional adjustment during the pandemic, are important factors affecting pandemic-related emotional-behavioral problems among children, regardless of COVID-19 infection, that should be addressed. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00431-023-04854-z.