RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is often reported after SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet evidence gaps remain. We aimed to (i) report the prevalence and characteristics of children and young people (CYP) reporting "brain fog" (i.e., cognitive impairment) 12-months post PCR-proven SARS-CoV-2 infection and determine whether differences by infection status exist and (ii) explore the prevalence of CYP experiencing cognitive impairment over a 12-month period post-infection and investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and sleep problems. METHODS: The Omicron CLoCk sub-study, set up in January 2022, collected data on first-time PCR-test-positive and PCR-proven reinfected CYP at time of testing and at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing. We describe the prevalence of cognitive impairment at 12-months, indicating when it was first reported. We characterise CYP experiencing cognitive impairment and use chi-squared tests to determine whether cognitive impairment prevalence varied by infection status. We explore the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and trouble sleeping using validated scales. We examine associations at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing by infection status using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. RESULTS: At 12-months post-testing, 7.0 % (24/345) of first-positives and 7.5 % (27/360) of reinfected CYP experienced cognitive impairment with no difference between infection-status groups (p = 0.78). The majority of these CYP experienced cognitive impairment for the first time at either time of testing or 3-months post-test (no difference between the infection-status groups; p = 0.60). 70.8 % of first-positives experiencing cognitive impairment at 12-months, were 15-to-17-years-old as were 33.3 % of reinfected CYP experiencing cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). Consistently at all time points post-testing, CYP experiencing cognitive impairment were more likely to score higher on all Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales, higher on the Chalder Fatigue sub-scale for mental fatigue, lower on the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and report more trouble sleeping. CONCLUSIONS: CYP have a fluctuating experience of cognitive impairment by 12-months post SARS-CoV-2-infection. Cognitive impairment is consistently correlated with poorer sleep, behavioural and emotional functioning over a 12-month period. Clinicians should be aware of cognitive impairment post-infection and its co-occurring nature with poorer sleep, behavioural and mental health symptoms.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Disfunción Cognitiva , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , COVID-19/complicaciones , Disfunción Cognitiva/epidemiología , Masculino , Femenino , Adolescente , Niño , Prevalencia , Trastornos del Sueño-Vigilia/epidemiología , Adulto Joven , Fatiga Mental/epidemiología , Salud Mental , PreescolarRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Post-COVID Condition (PCC), also known as 'Long COVID,' refers to persistent symptoms following a coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The prevalence of PCC in children and adolescents varies, impacting multiple body systems and affecting daily functioning. Specialised paediatric hubs were established in England to address the needs of young individuals with PCC. Additional local services also emerged, yet patients report challenges accessing services. To better understand the landscape of paediatric PCC services, we used a novel methodology using a web-based systematic search. METHODS: A web-based search was conducted in July 2023 using DEVONagent Pro. Search terms related to Long COVID and Pediatrics in England. Eligible sources providing information on PCC services for children and young people were included. A supplementary manual search and NHS England Post-COVID Network were also consulted. Data extraction included service location, characteristics, and referral pathways. Population estimates were derived from UK Census data. RESULTS: Among 342 identified records, 27 services met eligibility criteria, distributed unevenly across regions. Specialised hubs covered 13 locations, while additional services were concentrated in the South of England and London. Services varied in team composition, age range treated, and support offered. A lack of standardised approaches for paediatric PCC was evident. DISCUSSION: We used a novel methodology for systematically mapping online resources, providing valuable insights into service accessibility and aiding the identification of potential gaps. We observed geographical disparities in access to paediatric PCC services and the absence of standardised approaches in managing symptoms. Given the challenges faced by young individuals seeking support for their PCC the need for equitable and standardised care became apparent. The study contributes to closing the research-practice gap and calls for further research to identify effective treatments for paediatric PCC, acknowledging the diversity of reported symptoms and the importance of tailored approaches.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , Internet , Adolescente , Niño , Preescolar , Humanos , Servicios de Salud del Niño/organización & administración , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/terapia , Inglaterra/epidemiología , Accesibilidad a los Servicios de SaludRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been proven to be effective for anxiety and depression in children and young people (CYP). Over the past 20 years there have been several attempts at delivering CBT through apps, online software, videogames, but also with a therapist via phone or videoconferencing platforms, with promising results for the "technology-assisted" versions. However, most research, have compared online CBT to waiting lists, and not many studies looked at the effectiveness of face-to-face (f2f) CBT versus technology-assisted CBT. METHODS: Adopting the PRISMA guidelines, we evaluated 1849 citations and identified 10 eligible studies. Studies were identified through the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus. RESULTS: Ten studies met our inclusion criteria. The studies included a variety of technology-assisted forms of CBT, including videoconferencing and online CBT. Of these, seven looked at the effectiveness of technology-assisted CBT for anxiety in CYP, and seven looked at depression. The meta-analyses had low heterogeneity and showed that technology-assisted CBT was non-inferior to f2f CBT for anxiety and depression in CYP (d = 0.06 and 0.12 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Technology-assisted CBT may be a valid alternative for the treatment of anxiety and depression in CYP. Future studies should consider what specific delivery modalities are most cost-effective.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) has been proven to be effective for anxiety and depression in children and young people (CYP). Over the past 20 years there have been several attempts at delivering CBT through apps, online software, videogames, but also with a therapist via phone or videoconferencing platforms, with promising results for the "technology-assisted" versions. However, most research, have compared online CBT to waiting lists, and not many studies looked at the effectiveness of face-to-face (f2f) CBT vs technology-assisted CBT. Adopting the PRISMA guidelines, we evaluated 1849 citations and identified 10 eligible studies. Studies were identified through Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PsycINFO, PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus. Ten studies met our inclusion criteria. The studies included a variety of technology-assisted forms of CBT, including videoconferencing and online CBT. Of these, seven looked at the effectiveness of technology-assisted CBT for anxiety in CYP, and seven looked at depression. The meta-analyses had low heterogeneity and showed that technology-assisted CBT was non-inferior to f2f CBT for anxiety and depression in CYP. Technology-assisted CBT is a valid alternative for the treatment of anxiety and depression in CYP. Future studies should consider what specific delivery modalities are most cost-effective.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Over the past 3 years, a multitude of studies have highlighted the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and young people (CYP). In this umbrella review, we synthesise global evidence on the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of CYP from existing systematic reviews with and/or without meta-analysis. METHODS: Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we evaluated 349 citations and identified 24 eligible reviews with medium to high methodological quality to be reviewed narratively. RESULTS: Most of the reviews reported a high prevalence of anxiety disorders, depression, suicidal behaviour, eating disorders and other mental health problems. Most studies that used data at multiple time points indicate a significant increase in mental health problems in CYP, particularly in females and older adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Multipronged psychosocial care services, policies and programmes are needed to alleviate the burden of mental health problems in CYP as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated global health measures. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021276312.
RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Little is known about the prevalence and natural trajectory of post-COVID symptoms in young people, despite very high numbers of young people having acute COVID. To date, there has been no prospective follow-up to establish the pattern of symptoms over a 6-month time period. METHODS: A non-hospitalised, national sample of 3,395 (1,737 SARS-COV-2 Negative;1,658 SARS-COV-2 Positive at baseline) children and young people (CYP) aged 11-17 completed questionnaires 3 and 6 months after PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection between January and March 2021 and were compared with age, sex and geographically-matched test-negative CYP. RESULTS: Three months after a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test, 11 of the 21 most common symptoms reported by >10% of CYP had reduced. There was a further decline at 6 months. By 3 and 6 months the prevalence of chills, fever, myalgia, cough and sore throat of CYP who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 reduced from 10-25% at testing to <3%. The prevalence of loss of smell declined from 21% to 5% at 3 months and 4% at 6 months. Prevalence of shortness of breath and tiredness also declined, but at a lower rate. Among test-negatives, the same common symptoms and trends were observed at lower prevalence's. Importantly, in some instances (shortness of breath, tiredness) the overall prevalence of specific individual symptoms at 3 and 6 months was higher than at PCR-testing because these symptoms were reported in new cohorts of CYP who had not reported the specific individual symptom previously. CONCLUSIONS: In CYP, the prevalence of specific symptoms reported at time of PCR-testing declined with time. Similar patterns were observed among test-positives and test-negatives and new symptoms were reported six months post-test for both groups suggesting that symptoms are unlikely to exclusively be a specific consequence of SARS-COV-2 infection. Many CYP experienced unwanted symptoms that warrant investigation and potential intervention.
Asunto(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humanos , Niño , Adolescente , SARS-CoV-2/genética , Síndrome Post Agudo de COVID-19 , COVID-19/diagnóstico , COVID-19/epidemiología , Estudios de Cohortes , Estudios de Seguimiento , Disnea , Fatiga , MialgiaRESUMEN
OBJECTIVES: To describe the physical and mental health of children and young people (CYP) 6 months after infection with SARS-CoV-2 and explore whether this varies by COVID-19 vaccination. DESIGN: A non-hospitalised, national cohort of people aged 11-17 years old with PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection and PCR negatives matched at study invitation, by age, sex, region and date of testing who completed questionnaires 6 months after PCR testing. The questionnaire included 21 symptoms and standardised scales (eg, EQ-5D-Y and Chalder Fatigue Scale). RESULTS: 6407 test-positive and 6542 test-negative CYP completed the 6-month questionnaire: 60.9% of test-positive vs 43.2% of test-negative CYP reported at least one symptom 6 months post-test; 27.6% of test-positive vs 15.9% of test-negative CYP reported 3+ symptoms. Common symptoms at 6 months were tiredness and shortness of breath among both test-positive and test-negative CYP; however, the prevalence of both was higher in test-positive (38.4% and 22.8%, respectively) compared with test-negative CYP (26.7% and 10.9%, respectively). 24.5% test-positive vs 17.8% test-negative CYP met the Delphi research definition of long COVID. Mental health, well-being, fatigue and health-related quality of life scores were similar among test-positive and test-negative CYP 6 months post-test. Similarly, symptomatology was similar among COVID-19-vaccinated and COVID-19-unvaccinated test-positive and test-negative CYP. CONCLUSIONS: Six-months post-PCR testing, CYP who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 had similar symptoms to those who tested negative, but test-positive CYP had higher symptom prevalence. Mental health, well-being, fatigue and health-related quality of life were similar among test-positive and test-negative CYP, and symptoms at 6 months were similar in COVID-19 vaccinated and unvaccinated. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN 34804192.