Measuring COVID-19 related stress and its associated factors among the parents of school-aged children during the first lockdown in France.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic placed important challenges on parents, as they had to meet various demands during lockdown, including childcare, work and homeschooling. Therefore, the current study aimed to investigate perceived stress levels among the parents of school-aged children and explore their association with sociodemographic, environmental and psychological factors during lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among the parents of school-aged children ages 8 to 18, who lived in the Grand Est region of France during the first wave of the pandemic. An online survey collected sociodemographic data, living and working conditions, and exposure to COVID-19 as well as parent's levels of perceived stress (PSS-10), self-perceived health status (SF-12), social support (MSPSS) and resilience (BRS). Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to evaluate the association between moderate to severe perceived stress and various factors. RESULTS: In total, 734 parents were included. The results indicated that 47% were experiencing moderate stress and 7.2% were experiencing severe stress. Factors most strongly associated with risk of moderate to severe levels of stress were lower levels of parental resilience (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.2-6.6) and poor self-perceived mental health status (OR = 7.3, 95% CI: 5.0-10.8). The following risk factors were also identified: female sex; being in the age range of 35-44; difficulties isolating and contracting COVID-19, which involved hospitalization and separation or isolation from family. The support of friends (OR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7-1.0) and family (OR = 0.5, 95% CI: 0.3-0.8) were protective factors. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that supportive and preventive programs should focus on the improvement of resilience and mental health management to promote parents' wellbeing. Research has to focus both on individuals' inner potential for increasing resilience and the environmental resources to be activated. Building and boosting resilience among parents could serve as a protective factor against negative outcomes for them and their families.

Child self-report and child-parent agreement regarding health-related quality of life under COVID-19 lockdown in the French Grand Est area.

Nearly 1.6 billion of children and young people in more than 190 countries have been affected by school closures under the first lockdown due to the coronavirus disease. This study aimed to investigate child-reported and parent-rated health-related quality of life among 8- to 18-year-olds and the agreement between the children's assessments and those of their parents during lockdown. A cross-sectional study was conducted among French children living in the Grand Est area. An online survey was used to collect data on the children's sociodemographics, living environments, education and HRQoL. The latter was assessed with KIDSCREEN-27, which consists of five domains. Sex and age differences in parent ratings and child-reported data were analyzed using Mann-Whitney tests. Child-parent agreement was analyzed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). In total, 471 child-parent pairs from 341 households were included. Compared to European norms, children scored lower on all dimensions during the first lockdown: physical well-being (45.9/49.94 EU), psychological well-being (48.8/49.77 EU), parent relations and autonomy (47.7/49.99 EU), social support and peers (36.4/49.94 EU) and school (48.2/50 EU). Significant child-reported sex and age differences were identified for both psychological and physical well-being dimensions. Moderate to good agreement existed between children's and parents' ratings on all KIDSCREEN dimensions (ICC ranged from 0.60 to 0.76). The study suggests the need to focus on children's social support and peers during epidemics and to consider the children's self-reported HRQoL. Additional research should be conducted to identify ways of minimizing the gap between mental health needs and the services available and to help more children maintain their physical and mental health during the current crisis.

Mental Health Status of French School-Aged Children's Parents during the COVID-19 Lockdown and Its Associated Factors.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread social isolation. This study aimed to determine anxiety levels among parents of school-aged children and investigate the associated factors. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, living and working conditions, family relationships, social support (MSPSS) and health status (SF-12) were collected from French parents through an online survey. The Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) was used to assess anxiety. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the factors associated with moderate to severe anxiety. Among 698 parents, 19.2% experienced moderate to severe anxiety. A low level of resilience (OR = 4.3, 95% CI: 2.7-6.7) and confirmed COVID-19 cases involving hospitalization (OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 2.0-7.3) among individuals in one's household or in the family circle were found to be the main risk factors for moderate to severe anxiety. Other factors were also identified: a level of education less than high school (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.3-3.2), conflicts at home (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.4-3.7), noises outside the home (OR = 2.0, 95% CI: 1.0-3.9), confirmed cases not involving hospitalization (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.0-3.1) and suspected cases (OR = 1.9, 95% CI: 1.0-3.8). Family support was a protective factor. These findings suggest some need for support programs to help parents cope with public health crises and work-family challenges.

The effects of living and learning conditions on the health-related quality of life of children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown in the French Grand Est region.

INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 lockdown measures resulted in children and adolescents staying and learning at home. This study investigated health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and its associated factors among youth during the first lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 8- to 18-year-olds from the French Grand Est region. Sociodemographic data and information on living and learning conditions were collected using an online survey. HRQoL was assessed using the KIDSCREEN-27. Multiple regression analysis was performed to explore factors related to low HRQoL in each dimension. RESULTS: In total, 471 children from 341 households were included. Difficulties isolating at home were associated with low HRQoL in the psychological well-being (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.2-4.0) and parent relations and autonomy (OR = 2.1, 95% CI: 1.2-3.8) dimensions. Conflicts with dwelling occupants were related to increased ORs in the psychological well-being (OR = 2.9, 95% CI: 1.9-4.6), parent relations and autonomy (OR = 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.4) and school environment (OR = 2.4, 95% CI: 1.5-3.7) dimensions. Living in an apartment (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.1), never leaving home (OR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.2-5.9), having indoor noise at home (OR = 2.3, 95% CI: 1.2-4.6), and having a parent with high anxiety (OR = 1.8, 95% CI: 1.1-3.1) were associated with low HRQoL in the social support and peers dimension. Children working less than 1 h/day on schoolwork had an increased OR of 3.5 (95% CI: 1.4-9.0) in the school environment dimension. CONCLUSION: Living and learning conditions were associated with low HRQoL among children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Prevention and intervention programs are needed to support youth by facilitating their interactions and improving their coping and to prepare for future waves.

Effect of the COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown on mental health among post-secondary students in the Grand Est region of France: results of the PIMS-CoV19 study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 epidemic has sent students around the world in to lockdown. This study sought to assess the prevalence of impaired self-perceived mental health and identify associated factors among French post-secondary students during the lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among French students living in the Grand Est area in France from May 7 to 17, 2020 during the first lockdown. An online survey was used to collect sociodemographic data, learning and teaching conditions, living conditions, and exposure to COVID-19, and self-perceived mental health was assessed with mental composite score (MCS) of the SF-12. RESULTS: Overall, 4018 were analyzed. Most participants were female (70.7%), and the mean age was 21.7 years (SD 4.0). The mean MCS score was 44.5 (SD 17.3). Impaired mental health, defined by a MCS < 1st Quartile, was mainly associated with female sex; decreased time for learning; not having access to the outside with a garden, a terrace or a balcony; difficulties with the living situation and having someone in the home affected by the SARS-COV2 requiring hospitalization or not. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that living conditions during lockdown had a clear impact on the mental health of French post-secondary students. There is a need to improve prevention and to access distance education as well as an urgent need for measures to develop healthy coping strategies for students. This is significant challenge and will assist in moderating the risk for the development of further distress and mental health concerns.

Stress and associated factors among French university students under the COVID-19 lockdown: The results of the PIMS-CoV 19 study.

OBJECTIVES: The novel coronavirus disease has caused a global public health emergency. This study aimed to investigate perceived stress levels due to the COVID-19 outbreak and explore associated factors among students under lockdown. METHODS: Sociodemographic data, living and learning conditions and existing scales of perceived stress (PSS) and social support (MSPSS) were administered to French students via an online survey. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to evaluate the association between severe perceived stress and different factors. RESULTS: Among 3764 university students, the average PSS score was 19.2 (SD=8.3), and 22% experienced high perceived stress. The presence of someone hospitalized for COVID-19 in one's household (OR=6, 95% CI: 2.4-14.6) and female gender (OR=2.3, 95% CI: 1.9-2.9) were the main risk factors for severe perceived stress. The following risk factors were also identified: enrollment in the arts, humanities and language program; postponement of a final examination; reduced learning time; conflicts at home and with neighbors; difficulties isolating; noise inside or outside one's home; a lack of direct outdoor access; increased alcohol and tobacco consumption; and the perceived ineffectiveness of the use of media entertainment to calm down. Friend support (OR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.82-0.93) and family support (OR=0.79, 95% CI: 0.74-0.84) and the perceived effectiveness of physical exercise (OR=0.5, 95% CI: 0.4-0.6) for calming down were protective factors. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the factors that should be taken into account to counteract students' stress and the need to focus on students during epidemics.

EMDR in Telemental Health Counseling for Healthcare Workers Caring for COVID-19 Patients: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a strain on health systems around the world. Healthcare workers, on the front lines of the epidemic, are facing major and potentially traumatic stressful events, overwhelming their ability to cope and their resources. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article will be to show how the use of the URG-EMDR protocol in a telemental health setting has proven to be feasible and effective in the treatment of a group of healthcare professionals working in nursing homes or hospital services that were highly mobilized during the acute phase of COVID-19. METHOD: 17 participants, registered nurses (N = 7) and licensed practical nurses (N = 10), were remotely treated using the URG-EMDR protocol in a single session. The assessment focused on anxiety and depressive symptoms (HAD scale) and the level of perceived disturbance (SUD). An additional evaluation of the satisfaction with the remote psychotherapy intervention was conducted. RESULTS: As the URG-EMDR protocol has already proven itself during emergency interventions, it is interesting to note that its remote use in the treatment of healthcare providers caring for COVID-19 patients allows for an improvement in the emotional state and a decrease in perceived disturbance, in a single session. This result is maintained 1 week after the intervention, despite the continued professional activities of the participants and the continuity of the event. Moreover, the remote therapy setting was judged satisfactory by the patients, even if it required adjustments and certain recommendations for practice. DISCUSSION: The remote use of the URG-EMDR protocol opens up innovative perspectives for early interventions and the prevention of the development of psychological disorders in the long term following a situation of acute stress.

Psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on students in a French region severely affected by the disease: results of the PIMS-CoV 19 study.

The COVID-19 has sent billions of students worldwide into lockdown. The study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety and identify the factors associated with anxiety among French students during lockdown.A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect sociodemographic data, living and learning conditions, anxiety symptoms and social support. Among 3936 students, 15.2%, experienced moderate anxiety and 9.8%, severe anxiety.Female gender (OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.8-2.7) and having relatives or acquaintances from their housing hospitalized for COVID-19 (OR=3.3, 95% CI: 1.4-7.9) were the main risk factors for anxiety. Tensions at home (OR=1.8, 95% CI: 1.5-2.1), difficulties isolating (OR=1.4, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), noises inside (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-1.9) or outside the housing (OR=1.5, 95% CI: 1.3-1.8), no direct outdoor access (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-2.0), delay in final examination (OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.3-2.1), reduced time for learning (OR=1.3, 95% CI: 1.1-1.6), increased tobacco consumption (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.4-2.6), ineffectiveness of using media entertainment (OR=2.2, 95% CI: 1.1-4.4) and reading (OR=1.9, 95% CI: 1.3-2.7) to calm down, were identified as risk factors. Family (OR=0.85, 95% CI: 0.8-0.91) and friend (OR=0.88, 95% CI: 0.82-0.94) support were protective factors. This suggests the need to focus on students during epidemics, especially those living with someone hospitalized with COVID-19.

Early Psychological Preventive Intervention For Workplace Violence: A Randomized Controlled Explorative and Comparative Study Between EMDR-Recent Event and Critical Incident Stress Debriefing.

This randomized controlled trial study aims to investigate the efficacy of an early psychological intervention called EMDR-RE compared to Critical Incident Stress Debriefing on 60 victims of workplace violence, which were divided into three groups: 'EMDR-RE' (n = 19), 'CISD' (n = 23), and 'delayed EMDR-RE' (n = 18). EMDR-RE and CISD took place 48 hours after the event, whilst third intervention was delayed by an additional 48 hours. Results showed that after 3 months PCLS and SUDS scores were significantly lower with EMDR-RE and delayed EMDR-RE compared to CISD. After 48 hours and 3 months, none of the EMDR-RE-treated victims showed PTSD symptoms.