The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children
The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative psychological effects, such as increased depression, anxiety, and suicide, on children worldwide, including in Japan. To effectively mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic among Japanese children, it is necessary to increase understanding of the culturall...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2022-12-01
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| Series: | SSM - Mental Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560322000172 |
| _version_ | 1797975811897163776 |
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| author | Yuma Ishimoto Takahiro Yamane Yuki Matsumoto Yu Takizawa Katsutoshi Kobayashi |
| author_facet | Yuma Ishimoto Takahiro Yamane Yuki Matsumoto Yu Takizawa Katsutoshi Kobayashi |
| author_sort | Yuma Ishimoto |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The COVID-19 pandemic has had negative psychological effects, such as increased depression, anxiety, and suicide, on children worldwide, including in Japan. To effectively mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic among Japanese children, it is necessary to increase understanding of the culturally specific psychological effects on Japanese children, including age and gender differences, as well as related risk and protective factors. However, no previous research has quantitatively evaluated changes in Japanese children's emotional functioning before and after the pandemic began. The present study examined changes in Japanese children's emotional functioning with pre- and mid-pandemic questionnaires, particularly focusing on age and gender differences. The present study also explored the effects of school adjustment, social interactions, and lifestyle activities on children's emotional and behavioral functioning during the pandemic. Data were analyzed from 293 children from the southwestern region in Japan. The pre-pandemic questionnaire assessed emotional and behavioral functioning and school adjustment, while the mid-pandemic questionnaire assessed emotional and behavioral functioning, social interactions, and lifestyle activities. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the emotional functioning of Japanese children, especially younger boys. Pre-pandemic school adjustment negatively influenced emotional functioning. Spending time alone, spending little time with one's mother, poor sleep regulation, a lack of exercise, and a high frequency of playing video games were related to poor emotional and behavioral functioning. The findings imply that Japanese children, especially younger boys, may benefit from psychological interventions that promote social interactions, especially with their mothers, regulated sleep patterns, adequate exercise, and that support children in managing video game engagement, to mitigate the pandemic's negative psychological impact. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:41:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-80ee3e73ba6247f49de319196fb8f631 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2666-5603 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T04:41:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM - Mental Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-80ee3e73ba6247f49de319196fb8f6312022-12-28T04:19:43ZengElsevierSSM - Mental Health2666-56032022-12-012100077The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school childrenYuma Ishimoto0Takahiro Yamane1Yuki Matsumoto2Yu Takizawa3Katsutoshi Kobayashi4Teacher Education Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan 4-101 Minami, Koyama-cho, Tottori-shi, Tottori, 680-8550, Japan; Corresponding author.Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, JapanSchool of Human Life Sciences, Tokushima Bunri University, Tokushima, JapanChild Development and Learning Research Center, Faculty of Regional Sciences, Tottori University, Tottori, JapanFaculty of Regional Science, Tottori University, Tottori, JapanThe COVID-19 pandemic has had negative psychological effects, such as increased depression, anxiety, and suicide, on children worldwide, including in Japan. To effectively mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic among Japanese children, it is necessary to increase understanding of the culturally specific psychological effects on Japanese children, including age and gender differences, as well as related risk and protective factors. However, no previous research has quantitatively evaluated changes in Japanese children's emotional functioning before and after the pandemic began. The present study examined changes in Japanese children's emotional functioning with pre- and mid-pandemic questionnaires, particularly focusing on age and gender differences. The present study also explored the effects of school adjustment, social interactions, and lifestyle activities on children's emotional and behavioral functioning during the pandemic. Data were analyzed from 293 children from the southwestern region in Japan. The pre-pandemic questionnaire assessed emotional and behavioral functioning and school adjustment, while the mid-pandemic questionnaire assessed emotional and behavioral functioning, social interactions, and lifestyle activities. The results indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted the emotional functioning of Japanese children, especially younger boys. Pre-pandemic school adjustment negatively influenced emotional functioning. Spending time alone, spending little time with one's mother, poor sleep regulation, a lack of exercise, and a high frequency of playing video games were related to poor emotional and behavioral functioning. The findings imply that Japanese children, especially younger boys, may benefit from psychological interventions that promote social interactions, especially with their mothers, regulated sleep patterns, adequate exercise, and that support children in managing video game engagement, to mitigate the pandemic's negative psychological impact.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560322000172COVID-19Japanese childrenPsychological impactMental healthSchool closure |
| spellingShingle | Yuma Ishimoto Takahiro Yamane Yuki Matsumoto Yu Takizawa Katsutoshi Kobayashi The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children SSM - Mental Health COVID-19 Japanese children Psychological impact Mental health School closure |
| title | The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children |
| title_full | The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children |
| title_fullStr | The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children |
| title_full_unstemmed | The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children |
| title_short | The impact of gender differences, school adjustment, social interactions, and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese school children |
| title_sort | impact of gender differences school adjustment social interactions and social activities on emotional and behavioral reactions to the covid 19 pandemic among japanese school children |
| topic | COVID-19 Japanese children Psychological impact Mental health School closure |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560322000172 |
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