Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations
The present research investigated children and adolescents’ explicit and spontaneous representation of the COVID-19 pandemic and their related emotions, cognitions, and coping strategies. We explored the self-reported protective factors and coping mechanisms, in addition to similar attributional emo...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Children |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/3/359 |
| _version_ | 1797472283843887104 |
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| author | Alexandra Maftei Ioan-Alex Merlici Iulia-Cristina Roca |
| author_facet | Alexandra Maftei Ioan-Alex Merlici Iulia-Cristina Roca |
| author_sort | Alexandra Maftei |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present research investigated children and adolescents’ explicit and spontaneous representation of the COVID-19 pandemic and their related emotions, cognitions, and coping strategies. We explored the self-reported protective factors and coping mechanisms, in addition to similar attributional emotional experiences, i.e., the ways participants evaluated others’ pandemic experiences. Our sample consisted of 155 children and adolescents aged 10 to 13 (<i>M</i> = 10.70, <i>SD</i> = 0.85, 56.1% females). We designed a 12-item survey and analyzed our data using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our findings suggested that most children and adolescents associated masks with the thought of the novel coronavirus, and the most frequently associated emotion was sadness (45.2%), followed by fear (17.4%). Generally, participants reported a medium level of perceived adverse effects of the pandemic, mainly because their regular physical school classes moved to the online setting. We also found a significant association between children’s self-reported levels of harmful effects of the pandemic and perceived adverse effects on their families. Most participants expressed their dissatisfaction concerning online school classes, primarily due to poor online interaction. In our sample, the children and adolescents reported positive thoughts and family relationships as their primary coping mechanisms during the pandemic, suggesting similar perceived coping mechanisms in the others around them. Finally, more than half of the participants considered that the COVID-19 pandemic had no positive effects, while 40% considered the increased time spent with their families the primary positive consequences following the COVID-19 health crisis. Results are discussed regarding their implications concerning healthcare, social, and educational policies. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:59:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1e89643176f04c63aa22b047f69bee3c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2227-9067 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:59:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Children |
| spelling | doaj.art-1e89643176f04c63aa22b047f69bee3c2023-11-24T00:47:02ZengMDPI AGChildren2227-90672022-03-019335910.3390/children9030359Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional RepresentationsAlexandra Maftei0Ioan-Alex Merlici1Iulia-Cristina Roca2Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, 3 Toma Cozma Street, 700554 Iasi, RomaniaDepartment of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, 3 Toma Cozma Street, 700554 Iasi, RomaniaSurgery II Department, Faculty of Medicine, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, RomaniaThe present research investigated children and adolescents’ explicit and spontaneous representation of the COVID-19 pandemic and their related emotions, cognitions, and coping strategies. We explored the self-reported protective factors and coping mechanisms, in addition to similar attributional emotional experiences, i.e., the ways participants evaluated others’ pandemic experiences. Our sample consisted of 155 children and adolescents aged 10 to 13 (<i>M</i> = 10.70, <i>SD</i> = 0.85, 56.1% females). We designed a 12-item survey and analyzed our data using both qualitative and quantitative methods. Our findings suggested that most children and adolescents associated masks with the thought of the novel coronavirus, and the most frequently associated emotion was sadness (45.2%), followed by fear (17.4%). Generally, participants reported a medium level of perceived adverse effects of the pandemic, mainly because their regular physical school classes moved to the online setting. We also found a significant association between children’s self-reported levels of harmful effects of the pandemic and perceived adverse effects on their families. Most participants expressed their dissatisfaction concerning online school classes, primarily due to poor online interaction. In our sample, the children and adolescents reported positive thoughts and family relationships as their primary coping mechanisms during the pandemic, suggesting similar perceived coping mechanisms in the others around them. Finally, more than half of the participants considered that the COVID-19 pandemic had no positive effects, while 40% considered the increased time spent with their families the primary positive consequences following the COVID-19 health crisis. Results are discussed regarding their implications concerning healthcare, social, and educational policies.https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/3/359COVID-19 pandemicchildrenhealthcareadolescentsemotionscoping mechanisms |
| spellingShingle | Alexandra Maftei Ioan-Alex Merlici Iulia-Cristina Roca Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations Children COVID-19 pandemic children healthcare adolescents emotions coping mechanisms |
| title | Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations |
| title_full | Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations |
| title_fullStr | Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations |
| title_full_unstemmed | Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations |
| title_short | Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents: Cognitive and Emotional Representations |
| title_sort | implications of the covid 19 pandemic on children and adolescents cognitive and emotional representations |
| topic | COVID-19 pandemic children healthcare adolescents emotions coping mechanisms |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2227-9067/9/3/359 |
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