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Mental health, coping and related risk factors during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in children: nationally representative, multi-wave, cross-sectional results from 12 countries from the global COH-FIT study

Few multinational studies have assessed risk factors and coping strategies associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health over time. The Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT) is the largest transcontinental, multi-wav...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Agorastos, Agorastos (Author) , Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: March 2026
In: European neuropsychopharmacology
Year: 2026, Volume: 104, Pages: 1-13
ISSN:1873-7862
DOI:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741
Online Access:Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924977X25008156
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Author Notes:Agorastos Agorastos, Trevor Thompson, Marco Solmi, Samuele Cortese, Andrés Estradé, Joaquim Radua, Elena Dragioti, Davy Vancampfort, Lau Caspar Thygesen, Harald Aschauer, Monika Schlögelhofer, Elena Aschauer, Andres Schneeberger, Christian G. Huber, Gregor Hasler, Philippe Conus, Kim Q. Do Cuénod, Roland von Känel, Gonzalo Arrondo, Paolo Fusar-Poli, Philip Gorwood, Pierre-Michel Llorca, Marie-Odile Krebs, Elisabetta Scanferla, Taishiro Kishimoto, Golam Rabbani, Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka, Paolo Brambilla, Angela Favaro, Akihiro Takamiya, Leonardo Zoccante, Marco Colizzi, Julie Bourgin, Karol Kamiński, Maryam Moghadasin, Soraya Seedat, Evan Matthews, John Wells, Emilia Vassilopoulou, Ary Gadelha, Kuan-Pin Su, Jun Soo Kwon, Minah Kim, Taeyoung Lee, Oleg Papsuev, Denisa Manková, Andrea Boscutti, Cristiano Gerunda, Diego Saccon, Elena Righi, Francesco Monaco, Giovanni Croatto, Guido Cereda, Jacopo Demurtas, Natascia Brondino, Nicola Veronese, Paolo Enrico, Pierluigi Politi, Valentina Ciappolino, Andrea Pfennig, Andreas Bechdolf, Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg [und viele weitere]
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Summary:Few multinational studies have assessed risk factors and coping strategies associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health over time. The Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT) is the largest transcontinental, multi-wave, cross-sectional survey collecting multi-nation data on well-being and psychopathology during the pandemic. We analyzed country-specific, general-population-based, representative COH-FIT data of 6067 children aged 6-13 years from 12 countries across repeated cross-sectional waves over a period of >2 years (Apr/2020-May/2022), addressing through current and retrospective assessment pre- to intra-pandemic changes in well-being (WHO-5) and general psychopathology scores (Pc) (0-100) in relation to COVID-related deaths, stringency index, eight a priori risk factors, and 16 coping strategies in different responders at each wave. From pre- to intra-pandemic, WHO-5 scores decreased (−4.59, 95%CI=−6.18 to −2.99, p < 0.001), while PC-scores increased (+6.68, 95%CI=4.48-8.88, p < 0.001) significantly, following distinct time patterns but both returning to near pre-pandemic levels. Changes in both scores varied by country. WHO-5 scores correlated strongly with PC and subdomain scores. Both score changes were significantly but minimally associated to COVID-19 deaths/stringency index. The proportion of children screening positive for depression increased from 3.9% to 8.3% (χ²=145.70, p < 0.001) and for major depression from 0.6% to 2.2% (χ²=68.64, p < 0.001) intrapandemic. WHO-5 and PC-score changes were significantly associated with female gender, school closure, and pre-existing physical and mental conditions, with cumulative effects. The five most frequently endorsed coping strategies were family contact (85.2%), friends (67.3%), outdoor play (54.0%), pet interaction (51.5%), and internet use (50.9%). Identified risk groups and coping strategies can inform targeted interventions and global public health policy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT04383470
Item Description:Online verfügbar: 18. Dezember 2025, Artikelversion: 18. Dezember 2025
Gesehen am 03.03.2026
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1873-7862
DOI:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741

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