Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted child mental health, but data on long-term outcomes are limited. This study explored the course of psychiatric symptoms in patients with pre-existing psychopathology, assessed from both the child’s and parents’ perspectives. Methods: A three-year multicentre-longitudinal study involving patients aged 5–18 years and their parents across 10 Italian sites. Data were collected at three time points (2020, 2021 and 2022). Statistical analyses included Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Linear Mixed Models (LMM) via REML. Results: A total of 523 families participated. Factor analysis validated 3 factors for parents and 4 for children. Parents reported a low emotional well-being, positively correlated with socioeconomic status (SES); children reported better emotional well-being correlated with higher SES in 2020–2021 but not in 2022. During the pandemic, children perceived the quality of care as unsatisfactory; however, the association between SES and the perceived quality of care was less pronounced. Conclusion: SES may have differentially influenced the long-term mental health outcomes in children and parents. Social disadvantage may be especially evident during acutely stressful periods. During the pandemic, the advantages of a higher SES in mental health care were less pronounced than expected. Impact: The multi-informant perspective is extremely important to understand the impact of pandemic on the well-being of the entire family. Both youths with pre-existing psychopathology and their parents show consistently low emotional well-being throughout the pandemic, indicating a persistent vulnerability that does not spontaneously normalize. Youths report low satisfaction with, and perceived quality of, mental health support during the pandemic. Socioeconomic status shows a dynamic and informant-specific pattern. The advantage of higher SES is less evident for care satisfaction, In at risk populations family-based interventions should also address caregivers’ emotional involvement and burden. Category of study: Clinical Research Article
Socioeconomic status and perception of well-being and mental health support: a three-year COVID-19 study in children with psychopathology and their parents / Donno, F., Prandini, M., Abbracciavento, G., Agus, M., Balia, C., Carta, A., Albizzati, A., Boeri, S., Bravaccio, C., Cavassa, V., Conca, A., Gagliano, A., Lirosi, F., Marcotulli, D., Masi, G., Milone, A., Morosini, P., Nobili, L., Polizzi, M., Pontillo, M., et al.. - In: PEDIATRIC RESEARCH. - ISSN 1530-0447. - (2026). [10.1038/s41390-026-04978-6]
Socioeconomic status and perception of well-being and mental health support: a three-year COVID-19 study in children with psychopathology and their parents
Bravaccio, Carmela;Polizzi, Miriam;Riccio, Maria Pia;
2026
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted child mental health, but data on long-term outcomes are limited. This study explored the course of psychiatric symptoms in patients with pre-existing psychopathology, assessed from both the child’s and parents’ perspectives. Methods: A three-year multicentre-longitudinal study involving patients aged 5–18 years and their parents across 10 Italian sites. Data were collected at three time points (2020, 2021 and 2022). Statistical analyses included Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Linear Mixed Models (LMM) via REML. Results: A total of 523 families participated. Factor analysis validated 3 factors for parents and 4 for children. Parents reported a low emotional well-being, positively correlated with socioeconomic status (SES); children reported better emotional well-being correlated with higher SES in 2020–2021 but not in 2022. During the pandemic, children perceived the quality of care as unsatisfactory; however, the association between SES and the perceived quality of care was less pronounced. Conclusion: SES may have differentially influenced the long-term mental health outcomes in children and parents. Social disadvantage may be especially evident during acutely stressful periods. During the pandemic, the advantages of a higher SES in mental health care were less pronounced than expected. Impact: The multi-informant perspective is extremely important to understand the impact of pandemic on the well-being of the entire family. Both youths with pre-existing psychopathology and their parents show consistently low emotional well-being throughout the pandemic, indicating a persistent vulnerability that does not spontaneously normalize. Youths report low satisfaction with, and perceived quality of, mental health support during the pandemic. Socioeconomic status shows a dynamic and informant-specific pattern. The advantage of higher SES is less evident for care satisfaction, In at risk populations family-based interventions should also address caregivers’ emotional involvement and burden. Category of study: Clinical Research ArticleI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
