Examining Changes in Psychological and Behavioral Health Among Chinese Children and Adolescents Amid COVID-19

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic is having a profound impact on all facets of life. Extant empirical research observes compromises in mental health during COVID-19, such as higher levels of depression and increases in self-harm behaviors (Mazza et al., 2020; Xin et al., 2020). These findings, however, mostly focus on mental health, adult samples, and cross-sectional designs. It is less clear how this pandemic impacts other domains of health (e.g., behavioral outcomes) of disadvantaged children and adolescents. Building upon a risk and resilience framework (Masten & Naryan, 2012), the present study addresses these gaps by examining: (1) how psychological and behavioral health changes during COVID-19 (fall 2019 to summer 2020) among children and adolescents from disadvantaged rural areas of China; (2) how individual factors (e.g., age) and interpersonal resources (i.e., perceived family and peer support) contribute to these associations; and (3) if the impact of COVID-19 differs for a vulnerable group, e.g., Chinese children and adolescents left behind by their immigrant parents (left-behind children).
Method. The sample consists of 1,149 children and adolescents (Mage = 11.86, SD = 1.69; Table 1) from disadvantaged rural areas of China. Surveys were conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak (December 2019; T1) and during the pandemic (June 2020; T2).
Participants’ psychological well-being was operationalized as life satisfaction (Diener et al., 1985), mood/affect (Laurent et al., 1999), and self-injury behaviors (Hamza & Willoughby, 2019). Behavioral health was operationalized as addiction to smartphones (Kwon et al., 2013) and excessive (non-academic) screen time. Individual-level predictors included self-reported age (T1), resilience (T1; Campbell-Sills & Stein, 2007), and perceived stress of life events (T1; Xin & Yao, 2015). Interpersonal-level predictors included perceived family and peer support (Zimet et al., 1988) during COVID-19. Three covariates were included: gender (T1), subjective socioeconomic status (T1), and whether participants had visited Hubei (the pandemic center in China; T2).
Latent change score models (McArdle, 2009) examined change and predictors of change via unconditional models and conditional models. Multiple group models will be conducted to examine group differences.
Results. Compared to well-being before the pandemic, Chinese children and adolescents reported compromises in psychological well-being and behavioral health during COVID-19 (Table 2). Older children reported less increases in self-injury behaviors (b = -.05, SE = .02, p = .02). Higher levels of resilience at T1 were associated with less increases in addiction to smartphones (b = -.09, SE = .05, p = .047). Higher levels of perceived academic stress at T1 were associated with steeper increases in excessive screen time on weekdays (b = .35, SE = .13, p = .01). Children and adolescents perceiving more support from family reported less decreases in life satisfaction (b = .42, SE = .05, p < .001) and less increases in negative mood/affect (b = -.14, SE = .04, p < .001) and self-injury behaviors (b = -.12, SE = .04, p = .002). For the conference presentation, additional analyses will include multiple-group analyses to examine whether change and predictors of change would differ for left-behind children and adolescents.

Authors

• Jianing Sun, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Non-Presenting Author

• Mingjun Xie, Beijing Normal University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Amy K. Nuttall, Michigan State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Danhua Lin, Beijing Normal University
  Presenting Author