Long-Term Psychological Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children in Jordan

Harran Al-Rahamneh, Lubna Arafa, Anas Al Orani and Rahaf Baqleh
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Harran Al-Rahamneh: School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Lubna Arafa: School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Anas Al Orani: School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan
Rahaf Baqleh: School of Sport Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman 11942, Jordan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 15, 1-10

Abstract: Millions of children and adolescents have been affected worldwide by quarantine, school closures, and social distancing measures which have been implemented by many countries to control the spread of COVID-19. However, the long-term consequences of such procedures on children’s well-being are not clear. Therefore, this study investigated the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on Jordanian children between the ages of 5–11 years old. A total of 1309 parents with children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old filled in an online survey that included a set of questions to measure their children’s behaviour and emotions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Being bored (77.5%), irritable (66%), likely to argue with the rest of the family (60.7%), nervous (54.8%), reluctant (54.2%), and lonely (52.4%) were the most frequently reported symptoms compared to the pre-COVID-19 period. Parents reported that screen use of ?120 min a day was shown among 48.9% of children and 42% of children did <30 min a day of physical activity. ?8 h of sleep per night was reported among 42.5% of children compared to pre COVID-19. The results emphasized the importance of developing preventative psychological programs to minimize the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s psychological well-being.

Keywords: COVID-19; psychological impacts; 5–11 year old children; school closure; screen time usage; physical activity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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