Anxiety and depressive symptoms of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic: Developmental trajectories and risk factors

The course of young children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 crisis varied. To understand this variability, this longitudinal study examined trajectories of anxiety and depressive symptoms and associated risk factors. Parents of 503 children aged 1–6 years (48% girls, 99% Dutch) completed a survey in four waves, covering a period of 1.5 years during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents answered questionnaires regarding children’s anxiety and depressive symptoms and risk factors: direct COVID-19 factors (infection, death), family-related COVID-19 factors (parental perceived impact of the pandemic and parent–child emotion regulation strategies), and general caregiver’s distress (parental mental health, parental feelings of rejection toward the child). Using latent class growth analyses, anxiety and depressive symptom trajectories were identified. Regression analyses were conducted to identify risk factors. For anxiety, two trajectories were identified: low (87.67%) and high (12.33%). For depressive symptoms, three trajectories were identified: low (78.93%), high-decreasing (13.72%), and strong increasing (7.36%). Risk factors for falling within the high anxiety symptoms, or high-decreasing or strong increasing depressive symptoms trajectory, were death of a loved one, parental perceived negative impact of the pandemic, avoidant- and information-focused parent–child emotion regulation strategies, parental mental health problems, and parental feelings of rejection toward the child. Most children were reported to have low levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 crisis, but some children experienced higher symptoms and may benefit from follow-up and support. If a future crisis occurs, it is advised to screen and intervene on a family level to protect young children’s mental health.