A recent study by the Kennedy Krieger Institute highlights a growing mental health crisis among children suffering from long COVID. Researchers found that nearly 40% of pediatric patients with long COVID experienced significant symptoms of anxiety or depression.
The study evaluated 139 children at the institute’s Pediatric Post-COVID-19 Rehabilitation Clinic using standardized mental health screening surveys.
These assessments measured anxiety, depression, and key quality-of-life factors such as physical, emotional, social, and school functioning. Over one-third of the children reported elevated symptoms including worry, sleep disturbances, and mood irritability.
Dr. Laura Malone, the clinic’s director and co-investigator, noted that half of these children had no prior mental health diagnoses, indicating that long COVID may be triggering new psychological challenges. Specifically, one in four children developed new anxiety symptoms, and one in seven showed new depressive symptoms despite no previous history.
The study also revealed that the children’s quality of life was comparable to that of peers with serious illnesses like cancer or cystic fibrosis, underscoring the profound impact of long COVID.
The strongest predictor of poor quality of life was a “sense of ineffectiveness,” characterized by feelings of failure or inability to enjoy daily activities.
“These children are losing confidence in themselves and their ability to participate in daily life,” Dr. Malone said. “This loss of function can be as devastating as the physical symptoms. Addressing both is crucial to improving their quality of life.”
While prior research suggested mental health effects of long COVID, this study is among the first to employ validated mental health measures in a pediatric long COVID population.
It also warns that typical screening tools may miss the full extent of mental health issues due to overlapping physical symptoms like fatigue and dizziness.
The researchers urge healthcare providers to incorporate routine mental health screenings for children with long COVID to enable early intervention and support faster recovery.
This study sheds light on the urgent need to address the psychological as well as physical consequences of long COVID in children to prevent a widening mental health crisis.
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