Association between COVID-19 risk-mitigation behaviors and specific mental disorders in youth
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Abstract
Background
Although studies of adults show that pre-existing mental disorders increase risk for COVID-19 infection and severity, there is limited information about this association among youth. Mental disorders in general as well as specific types of disorders may influence the ability to comply with risk-mitigation strategies to reduce COVID-19 infection and transmission.
Methods
Youth compliance (rated as “Never,” “Sometimes,” “Often,” or “Very often/Always”) with risk mitigation was reported by parents on the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS) in January 2021. The sample comprised 314 female and 514 male participants from the large-scale Child Mind Institute Healthy Brain Network, a transdiagnostic self-referred, community sample of children and adolescents (ages 5–21). Responses were summarized using factor analysis of risk mitigation, and their associations with lifetime mental disorders (assessed via structured diagnostic interviews) were identified with linear regression analyses (adjusted for covariates). All analyses used R Project for Statistical Computing for Mac (v.4.0.5).
Results
A two-factor model was the best-fitting solution. Factor 1 (avoidance behaviors) included avoiding groups, indoor settings, and other peoples’ homes; avoidance scores were higher among youth with any anxiety disorder (p = .01). Factor 2 (hygiene behaviors) included using hand sanitizer, washing hands, and maintaining social distance; hygiene scores were lower among youth with ADHD (combined type) (p = .02). Mask wearing was common (90%), did not load on either factor, and was not associated with any mental health disorder.
Conclusion and relevance
Although most mental disorders examined were not associated with risk mitigation, youth with ADHD characterized by hyperactivity plus inattention may need additional support to consistently engage in risk-mitigation behaviors. Enhancing risk-mitigation strategies among at-risk groups of youth may help reduce COVID-19 infection and transmission.
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SciScore for 10.1101/2022.03.03.22271787: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics not detected. Sex as a biological variable The current study sample included 314 female and 514 male participants (ages 5-21) whose parents completed the CRISIS at Wave 2. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Software and Algorithms Sentences Resources Between April and July 2020 (Wave 1), parents of HBN participants were invited to complete the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS)16 about their child via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). REDCapsuggested: (REDCap, RRID:SCR_003445)All statistical analyses were conducted using The R Project for Statistical Computing for Mac19. R Project for Statisticalsuggested: (R Project for …SciScore for 10.1101/2022.03.03.22271787: (What is this?)
Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.
Table 1: Rigor
Ethics not detected. Sex as a biological variable The current study sample included 314 female and 514 male participants (ages 5-21) whose parents completed the CRISIS at Wave 2. Randomization not detected. Blinding not detected. Power Analysis not detected. Table 2: Resources
Software and Algorithms Sentences Resources Between April and July 2020 (Wave 1), parents of HBN participants were invited to complete the CoRonavIruS Health Impact Survey (CRISIS)16 about their child via Research Electronic Data Capture (REDCap). REDCapsuggested: (REDCap, RRID:SCR_003445)All statistical analyses were conducted using The R Project for Statistical Computing for Mac19. R Project for Statisticalsuggested: (R Project for Statistical Computing, RRID:SCR_001905)Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).
Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.
Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.
Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.
Results from rtransparent:- Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
- No protocol registration statement was detected.
Results from scite Reference Check: We found no unreliable references.
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