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Italian Children’s Well-Being after Lockdown: Predictors of Psychopathological Symptoms in Times of COVID-19

Author

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  • Marcella Caputi

    (Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, Via E. Weiss 21, 34128 Trieste, Italy)

  • Barbara Forresi

    (Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy)

  • Ludovica Giani

    (Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy)

  • Giovanni Michelini

    (Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy)

  • Simona Scaini

    (Child and Youth Lab, Sigmund Freud University of Milan, Via Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, 20143 Milan, Italy)

Abstract

The first Italian lockdown imposed to fight the spread of COVID-19 caused important disruptions in families’ everyday lives. The main aim of this research was to investigate the predictors of psychopathology in children aged 5–10 years, immediately after the national 2-month lockdown. A total of 158 Italian parents (148 mothers, 10 fathers, mean age = 41 years) were recruited and asked to complete an online research concerning their 158 children (76 boys, mean age = 7.4 years). Parents completed questionnaires on parent–child conflict, resilience, temperament, behavior, and previous adverse childhood experiences. Hierarchical regressions showed that children’s psychopathology was predicted by low child resilience, high novelty seeking and harm avoidance, adverse experiences, and high flooding levels. Moreover, girls exposed to adverse experiences appeared more vulnerable to psychopathology. The recruitment of a convenience sample, the small sample size, and the cross-sectional design of our study limit the generalizability and interpretation of the present findings. Nonetheless, this research extends our knowledge of children’s functioning in such an exceptional period. Shedding light on predictors of children’s psychopathology following prolonged quarantine can indeed guide effective psychological interventions now and in future similar situations.

Suggested Citation

  • Marcella Caputi & Barbara Forresi & Ludovica Giani & Giovanni Michelini & Simona Scaini, 2021. "Italian Children’s Well-Being after Lockdown: Predictors of Psychopathological Symptoms in Times of COVID-19," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-11, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:21:p:11429-:d:668709
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Cuiyan Wang & Riyu Pan & Xiaoyang Wan & Yilin Tan & Linkang Xu & Cyrus S. Ho & Roger C. Ho, 2020. "Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-25, March.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marcella Caputi & Barbara Forresi & Ludovica Giani & Simona Scaini, 2022. "Cooperation with Teachers as a Mediator of the Relationship between Family Conflict and Children’s Psychological Difficulties," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(20), pages 1-11, October.
    2. Barbara Forresi & Ludovica Giani & Simona Scaini & Giampaolo Nicolais & Marcella Caputi, 2023. "The Mediation of Care and Overprotection between Parent-Adolescent Conflicts and Adolescents’ Psychological Difficulties during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Which Role for Fathers?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(3), pages 1-15, January.

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