Prevalence and Associated Factors of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties during COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Jacqueline Nonweiler; Fiona Rattray; Jennifer Baulcomb; Francesca Happé; Michael Absoud

doi:10.3390/children7090128

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties during COVID-19 Pandemic in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Children (Basel). 2020 Sep 4;7(9):128. doi: 10.3390/children7090128.

Authors

Jacqueline Nonweiler¹, Fiona Rattray², Jennifer Baulcomb¹, Francesca Happé², Michael Absoud³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Children's Neurosciences, Evelina London Children's Hospital, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London SE1 7EH, UK.
² Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AH, UK.
³ Department of Women & Children's Health, King's College, London SE1 7EH, UK.

Abstract

Children and young people (CYP) with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) may be particularly vulnerable to adverse mental health effects due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted a cross-sectional U.K. parent-reported study from 2nd April-2nd June 2020, using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. CYP with NDDs (n = 371), compared to neurotypical controls, had a higher prevalence of emotional symptoms (42% vs. 15%) and conduct problems (28% vs. 9%), and fewer prosocial behaviours (54% vs. 22%). All groups had worse emotional symptoms than pre-COVID groups, and those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder showed inflated conduct problems, while those with autism spectrum disorder exhibited decreased prosocial behaviours. Females with ASD had higher emotional symptoms compared to males. CYP with NDDs, and those without, showed higher levels of parent-reported mental health problems than comparable cohorts pre-COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; autism spectrum disorder; behavioural neuroscience; mental health; paediatric neurology; pandemic.