Open AccessThe Mental Health Impacts of COVID-19 on PK–12 Students: A Systematic Review of Emerging Literature
Author(s) -
David Naff,
Shenita Williams,
Jenna Furman-Darby,
Melissa Yeung
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
aera open
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2332-8584
DOI - 10.1177/23328584221084722
Subject(s) - mental health , pandemic , psychology , coping (psychology) , anxiety , socioeconomic status , ethnic group , covid-19 , clinical psychology , psychiatry , medicine , disease , environmental health , sociology , infectious disease (medical specialty) , population , pathology , anthropology
The mental health impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on PK–12 youth is likely an urgent and enduring concern, yet research on this topic is still emerging. To synthesize current knowledge, the researchers conducted a systematic review of empirical studies exploring the mental health impacts of COVID-19. Five themes emerged across 104 included studies: (a) the pandemic proved widely disruptive to PK–12 youth; (b) there was a clear connection between the mental health of caregivers (e.g., parents) and children; (c) the pandemic broadly increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression in PK–12 youth; (d) students were particularly affected on the basis of age, gender, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and previous mental health or disability diagnosis; and (e) youth demonstrated negative and positive coping strategies and even saw some positive mental health outcomes during the pandemic. Implications for research, practice, and policy are discussed.