@article{f6a4e9cd7e6b42dd8670ca994045fa5f,
title = "Longitudinal trajectories of mental health and loneliness for Australian adolescents with-or-without neurodevelopmental disorders: the impact of COVID-19 school lockdowns",
abstract = "Background: The impact of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic school lockdowns on the mental health problems and feelings of loneliness of adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is hypothesized to be greater than that of their non-NDD peers. This two and a half year longitudinal study compared changes in the mental health and loneliness of Western Australian adolescents pre-COVID-19 (November 2018 and April 2019), immediately prior to COVID-19 school lockdowns (March 2020), and post schools reopening (July/August 2020). Methods: An age-and-gender matched sample of 476 adolescents with-or-without NDDs completed online assessments for mental health and loneliness. Results: Adolescents with NDDs reported elevated levels of adverse mental health across all four waves of data collection. These young people experienced little change in mental health problems and feelings of loneliness over time, and any increase during school lockdowns returned to, or fell below pre-COVID-19 levels once schools reopened. In comparison, adolescents without NDDs experienced significant increases from a low baseline in depression symptoms, externalizing symptoms, feelings of isolation, and having a positive attitude to being alone, and evidenced a significant decline in positive mental wellbeing. Quality of friendships were unaffected by COVID-19 school lockdowns for all adolescents regardless of NDD status. Of the adolescents with NDDs, those with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder reported a significant increase in positive mental wellbeing following school lockdowns. Conclusions: Adolescents with NDDs emerged relatively unscathed from COVID-19 school lockdowns and the short term impacts associated with these were not maintained over time. These findings should be considered in the context of this study{\textquoteright}s geographical location and the unpredictability of school lockdowns. Learning to live with school lockdowns into the future may be a critical element for further investigation in the context of interventions.",
keywords = "Coronavirus, adolescents, loneliness, longitudinal, mental health, neurodevelopmental disorders",
author = "Stephen Houghton and Michael Kyron and David Lawrence and Hunter, {Simon Charles} and John Hattie and Annemaree Carroll and Corinne Zadow and Wai Chen",
note = "Funding Information: This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (#180100252). The funding source had no role in the development, design and conducting of the research; data collection, analyses and interpretation; preparation, writing, review or approval of this manuscript. The authors are appreciative of the schools, teachers, parents and students who made this research possible. The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Western Australia, as part of the Wiley ‐ The University of Western Australia agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians. Key points Funding Information: This research was supported by the Australian Research Council (#180100252). The funding source had no role in the development, design and conducting of the research; data collection, analyses and interpretation; preparation, writing, review or approval of this manuscript. The authors are appreciative of the schools, teachers, parents and students who made this research possible. The authors have declared that they have no competing or potential conflicts of interest. Open access publishing facilitated by The University of Western Australia, as part of the Wiley - The University of Western Australia agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.Key points Longitudinal assessments comparing the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the mental health and feelings of loneliness of adolescents with or without neurodevelopmental disorders are scarce. Changes in mental health problems and feelings of loneliness over time were not evident for WA adolescents with NDDs. This may be because pre-COVID-19 levels were high and remained so across all waves of data collection. Conversely, adolescents without NDDs experienced a significant increase in depressive symptoms from school lockdowns to post schools reopening. Following schools reopening after lockdown adolescents with ADHD reported significant increases in positive mental wellbeing. The unpredictability of lockdowns do not put adolescents with NDDs at greater risk for mental health problems and loneliness. This has direct relevance to the policy and practice of education departments and schools given the unpredictability of school lockdowns into the future. More research is necessary with larger samples of adolescents with NDDs to more comprehensively examine changes in specific conditions (e.g. ADHD, ASD, SLD) because of COVID-19 lockdowns. Longitudinal assessments comparing the impact of COVID-19 lockdowns on the mental health and feelings of loneliness of adolescents with or without neurodevelopmental disorders are scarce. Changes in mental health problems and feelings of loneliness over time were not evident for WA adolescents with NDDs. This may be because pre-COVID-19 levels were high and remained so across all waves of data collection. Conversely, adolescents without NDDs experienced a significant increase in depressive symptoms from school lockdowns to post schools reopening. Following schools reopening after lockdown adolescents with ADHD reported significant increases in positive mental wellbeing. The unpredictability of lockdowns do not put adolescents with NDDs at greater risk for mental health problems and loneliness. This has direct relevance to the policy and practice of education departments and schools given the unpredictability of school lockdowns into the future. More research is necessary with larger samples of adolescents with NDDs to more comprehensively examine changes in specific conditions (e.g. ADHD, ASD, SLD) because of COVID-19 lockdowns. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.",
year = "2022",
month = nov,
doi = "10.1111/jcpp.13579",
language = "English",
volume = "63",
pages = "1332--1343",
journal = "Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry",
issn = "0021-9630",
publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",
number = "11",
}