Mental Health, Quality of Life and Coping Strategies in Vulnerable Children During the COVID-19 Pandemic

• Laura Vallejo-Slocker ^[3] ; Jesús Sanz ^[1] ; María Paz García-Vera ^[1] ; Javier Fresneda ^[3] ; Miguel A. Vallejo ^[2]
  1. [1] Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Universidad Complutense de Madrid

     Madrid, España

     
  2. [2] Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

     Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia

     Madrid, España

     
  3. [3] Aldeas Infantiles SOS España

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• Localización: Psicothema, ISSN-e 1886-144X, ISSN 0214-9915, Vol. 34, Nº. 2, 2022, págs. 249-258
• Idioma: inglés
• Títulos paralelos:
  • Salud Mental, Calidad de Vida y Estrategias de Afrontamiento de Niños Vulnerables Durante la Pandemia de la COVID-19
• Enlaces
  • Texto completo (pdf)
• Dialnet Métricas: 4 Citas
• Resumen
  • español

    Antecedentes: la pandemia del coronavirus no tiene precedentes en la historia moderna. El objetivo del estudio es analizar sus consecuencias tras un año de pandemia en niños y adolescentes evaluados al inicio de la misma en 2020 y determinar las estrategias de afrontamiento más eficaces para lidiar con la pandemia. Método: 2 grupos distintos pero equivalentes formados por 604 (estudio I, 2020) y 743 (estudio II, 2021) niños y adolescentes en acogimiento residencial, acogimiento familiar (extensa y ajena) y en programas de fortalecimiento familiar en España fueron evaluados usando el SDQ (salud mental), KIDSCREEN-10 (calidad de vida) y Kidcope (afrontamiento). Se utilizó comparaciones de medias para muestras independientes y un análisis de árbol de decisión. Resultados: la salud mental de niños y adolescentes ha disminuido un 9,7% mientras que la calidad de vida no ha cambiado tras un año de pandemia. Las estrategias de afrontamiento pasivas predijeron una peor salud mental y una peor calidad de vida. Estrategias de solución de problemas actuaron como un factor protector. Conclusiones: la pandemia de la COVID-19 tiene efectos tras el paso de un año en el bienestar psicológico de niños y adolescentes y sus consecuencias pueden reducirse con estrategias de afrontamiento apropiadas.

  • English

    The coronavirus pandemic has led to a situation without precedent in modern history. The aim of this study is to analyse the consequences after one year of the pandemic on a group of children and adolescents assessed at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 and to determine the most effective ways of psychologically coping with this pandemic. Method: Two different, but equivalent, groups with a total of 604 (study I, 2020) and 743 (study II, 2021) children and adolescents in residential care, foster families, kinship families or family strengthening programs in Spain were evaluated using the SDQ (mental health measure), KIDSCREEN-10 index (quality of life measure) and Kidcope (coping behaviour measure). An independent sample t-test and a decision tree analysis were used.Results: The mental health of children and adolescents decreased by 9.7%, and Self-Perceived quality of life did not change after one year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonactive coping strategies predicted worse mental health and worse quality of life. Problem solving served as a protective factor. Conclusion: One year after, the COVID-19 pandemic has an effect on the psychological wellbeing of children and adolescents, and the consequences can be reduced if proper coping strategies are used.

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