What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India
Abstract Background The pandemic has put at risk the social and emotional development of children on account of the paucity of arenas for social interaction. This study from Kerala, India was conducted to assess the resilience factors, behavioural concerns, psychological distress symptoms among the...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
BMC
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02090-3 |
| _version_ | 1797276652092260352 |
|---|---|
| author | Jose Vincent Resmi Madhusoodanan Santhakumari Anjana Nalinakumari Kesavan Nair Anisha Sharahudeen Asvini K.P Meenu Maheswari Suresh Mathew J. Valamparampil Gayathri A.V Chintha Sujatha Anish Thekkumkara Surendran |
| author_facet | Jose Vincent Resmi Madhusoodanan Santhakumari Anjana Nalinakumari Kesavan Nair Anisha Sharahudeen Asvini K.P Meenu Maheswari Suresh Mathew J. Valamparampil Gayathri A.V Chintha Sujatha Anish Thekkumkara Surendran |
| author_sort | Jose Vincent |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The pandemic has put at risk the social and emotional development of children on account of the paucity of arenas for social interaction. This study from Kerala, India was conducted to assess the resilience factors, behavioural concerns, psychological distress symptoms among the children aged 3 to 5 years. We also tried to look into the lost opportunities that could have aided the social and emotional development of children like peer interaction, child care hours. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted among the children aged 3 to 5 years. A total of 535 children attending the immunisation clinics were enrolled by consecutive sampling. Devereux Early Childhood Assessment P2 (DECA P2) questionnaire was used to assess the levels of resilient factors and behavioural concerns in the study population. Results We observed a high proportion of children in the area of need category of protective factors under DECA P2. The proportion of children falling under area of concern was 64.5%, 49%, 68.4% for attachment/relationship, self-regulation, and initiative respectively. 24.9% study subjects have a behavioural concern score that puts them in the area of need category. The logistic regression model we created identified ‘Male Gender,’ ‘Mothers could spend only less time for child care’ and ‘electronic devices used as pacifier’ as significant predictors for belonging to Area of need Behavioural Concerns T score category. Conclusion A large proportion of children aged between 3 to 5 years with reported behavioural concerns and lack of protective factors for socioemotional development. This can be attributed partly to the ongoing pandemic and its associated restrictions. The increased child care hours invested by parents or grandparents could have sized down the full impact that the pandemic would have had on the socio emotional development of the child. Increased time spent using electronic devices coupled with dwindled opportunities for interaction with peers have been notable challenges. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:31:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-020d4dceefd4465294d4d314809600ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1475-9276 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T15:31:17Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Journal for Equity in Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-020d4dceefd4465294d4d314809600ba2024-03-05T16:23:14ZengBMCInternational Journal for Equity in Health1475-92762024-01-012311910.1186/s12939-023-02090-3What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, IndiaJose Vincent0Resmi Madhusoodanan Santhakumari1Anjana Nalinakumari Kesavan Nair2Anisha Sharahudeen3Asvini K.P4Meenu Maheswari Suresh5Mathew J. Valamparampil6Gayathri A.V7Chintha Sujatha8Anish Thekkumkara Surendran9Department of Community Medicine, Amala Institute of Medical SciencesDistrict HospitalGovernment Medical College ThiruvananthapuramGovernment Medical College ThiruvananthapuramGovernment Medical College ThiruvananthapuramPHC KadachiraSree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and TechnologyWHO medical consultant, NTEPGovernment Medical College ThiruvananthapuramGovernment Medical College ThiruvananthapuramAbstract Background The pandemic has put at risk the social and emotional development of children on account of the paucity of arenas for social interaction. This study from Kerala, India was conducted to assess the resilience factors, behavioural concerns, psychological distress symptoms among the children aged 3 to 5 years. We also tried to look into the lost opportunities that could have aided the social and emotional development of children like peer interaction, child care hours. Methods The cross-sectional study was conducted among the children aged 3 to 5 years. A total of 535 children attending the immunisation clinics were enrolled by consecutive sampling. Devereux Early Childhood Assessment P2 (DECA P2) questionnaire was used to assess the levels of resilient factors and behavioural concerns in the study population. Results We observed a high proportion of children in the area of need category of protective factors under DECA P2. The proportion of children falling under area of concern was 64.5%, 49%, 68.4% for attachment/relationship, self-regulation, and initiative respectively. 24.9% study subjects have a behavioural concern score that puts them in the area of need category. The logistic regression model we created identified ‘Male Gender,’ ‘Mothers could spend only less time for child care’ and ‘electronic devices used as pacifier’ as significant predictors for belonging to Area of need Behavioural Concerns T score category. Conclusion A large proportion of children aged between 3 to 5 years with reported behavioural concerns and lack of protective factors for socioemotional development. This can be attributed partly to the ongoing pandemic and its associated restrictions. The increased child care hours invested by parents or grandparents could have sized down the full impact that the pandemic would have had on the socio emotional development of the child. Increased time spent using electronic devices coupled with dwindled opportunities for interaction with peers have been notable challenges.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02090-3COVID 19Early childhood developmentDECA P2Behavioural Concerns |
| spellingShingle | Jose Vincent Resmi Madhusoodanan Santhakumari Anjana Nalinakumari Kesavan Nair Anisha Sharahudeen Asvini K.P Meenu Maheswari Suresh Mathew J. Valamparampil Gayathri A.V Chintha Sujatha Anish Thekkumkara Surendran What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India International Journal for Equity in Health COVID 19 Early childhood development DECA P2 Behavioural Concerns |
| title | What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India |
| title_full | What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India |
| title_fullStr | What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India |
| title_full_unstemmed | What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India |
| title_short | What our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the Covid-19 pandemic: a study on psychological distress, behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in Kerala, India |
| title_sort | what our children lost and gained at the time of school closure during the covid 19 pandemic a study on psychological distress behavioural concerns and protective factors of resilience among preschool children in kerala india |
| topic | COVID 19 Early childhood development DECA P2 Behavioural Concerns |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-023-02090-3 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT josevincent whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT resmimadhusoodanansanthakumari whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT anjananalinakumarikesavannair whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT anishasharahudeen whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT asvinikp whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT meenumaheswarisuresh whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT mathewjvalamparampil whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT gayathriav whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT chinthasujatha whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia AT anishthekkumkarasurendran whatourchildrenlostandgainedatthetimeofschoolclosureduringthecovid19pandemicastudyonpsychologicaldistressbehaviouralconcernsandprotectivefactorsofresilienceamongpreschoolchildreninkeralaindia |