Risk and Resiliency in Child and Adolescent Mental Health During COVID-19

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

There has been concern regarding the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and subsequent public health interventions due to isolation, anxiety around the pandemic, and increased conflict at home on child and youth mental health. There has been a public health effort in Canada to help mitigate the risk of a “third wave” of mental health challenges. This symposium will present risk and resiliency factors for child and youth mental health that could be targeted in interventions. This symposium aims to examine these factors across diverse populations and reporters. The first study (Ames) uses community-based adolescent self-report and examines the potential protective nature of physical activity on adolescent depression. The second study (Schwartz) uses school-based adolescent self-report and will examine whether resiliency factors at the individual, caregiver, and contextual level moderate COVID-19 worry on mental health problems. In the third study, respondents included caregivers of children with autism and examined the effect of child (i.e., severity of autism, presence of a co-occurring diagnosis), caregiver (i.e., perceived caregiver stress, caregiver resilient coping), and environmental (i.e., COVID-19 in the household, COVID-19 household disruption, and loss or change in support services) factors on child mental health outcomes. Using community-based parent-report of adolescents, the final study (Craig) examines a potential pathway from maternal COVID-19 related stress to youth mental health through the subsequent affect dysregulation of the parent and youth. Clinical implications of all findings will be discussed.

Sub Unit

• Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Chair

• Stephanie G. Craig, York University

Individual Presentations

• Family fun: The protective role of family physical activity for adolescent mental health - Presenting Author: Megan E Ames, University of Victoria; Non-Presenting Author: Bianca C. Bondi, York University; Non-Presenting Author: Debra Pepler, York University; Non-Presenting Author: Stephanie G. Craig, York University

• COVID-19 Student Well-Being During School Re-Entry: Wave 1 Data - Presenting Author: Kelly Schwartz, University of Calgary (U of C); Non-Presenting Author: Carly A McMorris, University of Calgary (U of C); Non-Presenting Author: Deinera Exner-Cortens, University of Calgary; Non-Presenting Author: Erica Makarenko, University of Calgary; Non-Presenting Author: Paul Arnold, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research and Education; Non-Presenting Author: Marisa Van Bavel, University of Calgary; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Williams, University of Calgary

• Mental Health and Well-Being in Children with Autism during the COVID-19 Pandemic - Presenting Author: Kailyn M Turner, University of Calgary (U of C); Non-Presenting Author: Stephanie J Howe, University of Calgary (U of C); Non-Presenting Author: Connor M Kerns, University of British Columbia; Non-Presenting Author: Jonathan A Weiss, York University; Non-Presenting Author: Carly A McMorris, University of Calgary (U of C)

• The Effect of COVID-19 Stress on Maternal Affect Regulation: Risk Factor for Adolescent Mental Health - Presenting Author: Stephanie G. Craig, York University