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Anxiety and depressive symptoms among youth in Italy, Spain, and Portugal: A three-year post-pandemic study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 May 2025

Mireia Orgilés Open the ORCID record for Mireia Orgilés [Opens in a new window] ,
Víctor Amorós-Reche Open the ORCID record for Víctor Amorós-Reche [Opens in a new window] ,
Elisa Delvecchio Open the ORCID record for Elisa Delvecchio [Opens in a new window] ,
Rita Francisco Open the ORCID record for Rita Francisco [Opens in a new window] ,
Claudia Mazzeschi Open the ORCID record for Claudia Mazzeschi [Opens in a new window] ,
Cristina Godinho Open the ORCID record for Cristina Godinho [Opens in a new window] ,
Marta Pedro Open the ORCID record for Marta Pedro [Opens in a new window] ,
Jose P. Espada Open the ORCID record for Jose P. Espada [Opens in a new window]  and
Alexandra Morales Open the ORCID record for Alexandra Morales [Opens in a new window]
Mireia Orgilés
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain
Víctor Amorós-Reche*
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain
Elisa Delvecchio
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Rita Francisco
Affiliation:
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal
Claudia Mazzeschi
Affiliation:
Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy
Cristina Godinho
Affiliation:
NOVA National School of Public Health, Public Health Research Centre, Comprehensive Health Research Center, NOVA University, Lisbon, Portugal
Marta Pedro
Affiliation:
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Lisbon, Portugal
Jose P. Espada
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain
Alexandra Morales
Affiliation:
Centro de Investigación de la Infancia y la Adolescencia, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain
*
Corresponding author: Víctor Amorós-Reche; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the population’s lives. Stressful conditions during the lockdown and the reintroduction to a changed social environment emotionally affected children and adolescents. The aim of this work was to study anxiety and depressive symptoms in Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years at different moments of the COVID-19 pandemic: April 2020 (during confinement), September 2020 (with the schools’ reopening), and September 2023 (with the situation restored). Parents of 1,097 children participated in at least one assessment, completing measures of child emotional symptoms online. Cases with subclinical symptoms of anxiety and depression were higher compared to pre-pandemic studies. Overall, anxiety increased from April 2020 to September 2020, decreasing in September 2023 with no differences compared to the first assessment. Depression was high in April 2020 but decreased in September 2020, with no significant differences three years later, in September 2023. Cross-country comparisons at each point are discussed. Moreover, boys showed higher levels of depression during the pandemic compared to girls. Older children, compared to younger ones, had more anxiety and depressive symptoms throughout all the moments. These findings highlight the emotional impact of the pandemic and its conditions on children and adolescents.

Keywords

anxietyconfinementCOVID-19depressionyouths
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , First View , pp. 1 - 11
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© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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