AUTHOR=Esposito Susanna , Giannitto Nino , Squarcia Antonella , Neglia Cosimo , Argentiero Alberto , Minichetti Paola , Cotugno Nicola , Principi Nicola 

TITLE=Development of Psychological Problems Among Adolescents During School Closures Because of the COVID-19 Lockdown Phase in Italy: A Cross-Sectional Survey

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2020.628072

DOI=10.3389/fped.2020.628072

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=Background: To evaluate adolescents’ psychological statuses and identify the risk and protective factors in the development of psychological problems among adolescents during school closures because of the COVID-19 lockdown phase in Italy, a cross-sectional survey was performed with an anonymous online questionnaire. 
Methods: A total of 2,064 adolescent students aged 11-19 years old (62.8% females; mean age, 15.4 ± 2.1 years), 69% of those initially included in the study, completed and returned the questionnaire.   
Results: Sadness was significantly more frequent in females (84%) than males (68.2%; p<0.001) and in the 14-19-year-old age group than the 11-13-year-old age group (79.2%; p<0.001). Missing the school community was a significantly more common cause of sadness in girls (26.5 vs 16.8; p<0.001), in southern Italy (26.45 vs 20.2; p<0.01) and in the 14-19-year-old group (24.2% vs 14.7%; p<0.001). The multivariate regression analysis showed that male gender was a protective factor against negative feelings (p <0.01), leading to a decrease of 0.63 points in the total negative feelings index. Having a family member or an acquaintance with COVID-19 increased the negative feelings index by 0.1 points (p <0.05). 
Conclusions: This study shows that school closures because of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak caused substantial emotional uncertainty among adolescents, especially among females, and demonstrates that at schools there is an urgent need for prompt education on measures of COVID-19 prevention, such as the use of face masks, social distancing and handwashing, in order to avoid outbreaks.