The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020
In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers&...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803270/full |
| _version_ | 1798025591269621760 |
|---|---|
| author | Alessio Matiz Alessio Matiz Franco Fabbro Franco Fabbro Andrea Paschetto Cosimo Urgesi Cosimo Urgesi Enrica Ciucci Andrea Baroncelli Cristiano Crescentini Cristiano Crescentini |
| author_facet | Alessio Matiz Alessio Matiz Franco Fabbro Franco Fabbro Andrea Paschetto Cosimo Urgesi Cosimo Urgesi Enrica Ciucci Andrea Baroncelli Cristiano Crescentini Cristiano Crescentini |
| author_sort | Alessio Matiz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers' reports and neglected personality assessment. In order to measure the impact of the pandemic, and the fears it caused, on primary school children's affect and personality, 323 (180 boys and 143 girls) Italian third, fourth and fifth graders were assessed between October and November 2020, namely during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Italy, with validated self-reports of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, PANAS-C), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale, FCV-19S) and personality (junior Temperament and Character Inventory, jTCI). In comparison with PANAS-C and jTCI normative scores collected prior to the pandemic, data obtained from children in 2020 showed unchanged affect scores in the overall sample, a decrease of Positive Affect in girls, and a decrease in the Harm Avoidance and an increase in the Self-Transcendence scales of personality. Fear of COVID-19 scores were positively correlated with Negative Affect scores and negatively predicted by children's personality profile of resilience (calculated using scores on the Harm Avoidance and the Self-Directedness scales of personality). These results suggested that Italian primary school children, especially boys, maintained their pre-pandemic levels of affect (or restored them after the first COVID-19 wave) and partially diverged from the typical development of personality in an apparently positive sense, namely toward more courageous/optimistic and spiritual profiles. This sort of children's post-traumatic growth might also be attributed to children's family and education systems, which should continue to be supported to promote and maintain community mental health. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:21:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c351cbc19fe94537b141ebff049fac6c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T18:21:18Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-c351cbc19fe94537b141ebff049fac6c2022-12-22T04:09:45ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-01-011210.3389/fpsyt.2021.803270803270The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020Alessio Matiz0Alessio Matiz1Franco Fabbro2Franco Fabbro3Andrea Paschetto4Cosimo Urgesi5Cosimo Urgesi6Enrica Ciucci7Andrea Baroncelli8Cristiano Crescentini9Cristiano Crescentini10Department of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyInstitute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyDepartment of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyScientific Institute, IRCCS E. Medea, Neuropsychiatry and Neurorehabilitation Unit, Lecco, ItalyDepartment of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology, University of Florence, Florence, ItalyDepartment of Languages and Literatures, Communication, Education and Society, University of Udine, Udine, ItalyInstitute of Mechanical Intelligence, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna di Pisa, Pisa, ItalyIn relation to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, a large body of research has identified a negative impact on individuals' affectivity, frequently documented by increased prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. For children, this research was less extensive, was mainly based on caregivers' reports and neglected personality assessment. In order to measure the impact of the pandemic, and the fears it caused, on primary school children's affect and personality, 323 (180 boys and 143 girls) Italian third, fourth and fifth graders were assessed between October and November 2020, namely during the second wave of COVID-19 infections in Italy, with validated self-reports of affect (Positive and Negative Affect Scale for Children, PANAS-C), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale, FCV-19S) and personality (junior Temperament and Character Inventory, jTCI). In comparison with PANAS-C and jTCI normative scores collected prior to the pandemic, data obtained from children in 2020 showed unchanged affect scores in the overall sample, a decrease of Positive Affect in girls, and a decrease in the Harm Avoidance and an increase in the Self-Transcendence scales of personality. Fear of COVID-19 scores were positively correlated with Negative Affect scores and negatively predicted by children's personality profile of resilience (calculated using scores on the Harm Avoidance and the Self-Directedness scales of personality). These results suggested that Italian primary school children, especially boys, maintained their pre-pandemic levels of affect (or restored them after the first COVID-19 wave) and partially diverged from the typical development of personality in an apparently positive sense, namely toward more courageous/optimistic and spiritual profiles. This sort of children's post-traumatic growth might also be attributed to children's family and education systems, which should continue to be supported to promote and maintain community mental health.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803270/fullchildrenpersonalityaffectCOVID-19mental healthanxiety |
| spellingShingle | Alessio Matiz Alessio Matiz Franco Fabbro Franco Fabbro Andrea Paschetto Cosimo Urgesi Cosimo Urgesi Enrica Ciucci Andrea Baroncelli Cristiano Crescentini Cristiano Crescentini The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 Frontiers in Psychiatry children personality affect COVID-19 mental health anxiety |
| title | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 |
| title_full | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 |
| title_fullStr | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 |
| title_short | The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Affect, Fear, and Personality of Primary School Children Measured During the Second Wave of Infections in 2020 |
| title_sort | impact of the covid 19 pandemic on affect fear and personality of primary school children measured during the second wave of infections in 2020 |
| topic | children personality affect COVID-19 mental health anxiety |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.803270/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alessiomatiz theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT alessiomatiz theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT francofabbro theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT francofabbro theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT andreapaschetto theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cosimourgesi theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cosimourgesi theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT enricaciucci theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT andreabaroncelli theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cristianocrescentini theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cristianocrescentini theimpactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT alessiomatiz impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT alessiomatiz impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT francofabbro impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT francofabbro impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT andreapaschetto impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cosimourgesi impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cosimourgesi impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT enricaciucci impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT andreabaroncelli impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cristianocrescentini impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 AT cristianocrescentini impactofthecovid19pandemiconaffectfearandpersonalityofprimaryschoolchildrenmeasuredduringthesecondwaveofinfectionsin2020 |