The following is a summary of “Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Children and Adolescents with ADHD: A Systematic Review of Controlled Longitudinal Cohort Studies,” published in the December 2023 issue of Psychiatry by Dessain et al.
The influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental well-being of children and adolescents diagnosed with ADHD has been a topic of investigation, yet prior research yielded varying conclusions. This systematic review aimed to comprehensively assess the impact by scrutinizing controlled longitudinal cohort studies available until 18/11/2023 across several databases (Prospero: CRD42022308166). A meticulous evaluation of 6 selected studies was conducted using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale to determine study quality. Findings suggested that while mental health symptoms were exacerbated in both ADHD and control groups in specific contexts, individuals with ADHD exhibited prolonged and heightened symptoms, indicating their sustained vulnerability. Moreover, notable exacerbation of sleep disturbances was observed in the ADHD cohort. Pre-existing lower emotion regulation abilities and increased rumination were linked to more adverse mental health outcomes, while extended screen time correlated with poorer sleep quality.
Nevertheless, the quality assessment highlighted deficiencies, notably the reliance on self-reported outcome measures and a lack of data regarding attrition rates, contributing to an overall low rating in study quality. Despite these limitations, the collective evidence underscores a predominantly adverse impact of the pandemic on the mental health of youths with ADHD. These insights may offer valuable guidance for clinical interventions and policy formulation in this vulnerable population.
Source: sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0149763423004712