{
  "abstract": "Few multinational studies have assessed risk factors and coping strategies associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health over time. The Collaborative Outcomes study on Health and Functioning during Infection Times (COH-FIT) is the largest transcontinental, multi-wave, cross-sectional survey collecting multi-nation data on well-being and psychopathology during the pandemic. We analyzed country-specific, general-population-based, representative COH-FIT data of 6067 children aged 6–13 years from 12 countries across repeated cross-sectional waves over a period of >2 years (Apr/2020–May/2022), addressing through current and retrospective assessment pre- to intra-pandemic changes in well-being (WHO-5) and general psychopathology scores (P c ) (0–100) in relation to COVID-related deaths, stringency index, eight a priori risk factors, and 16 coping strategies in different responders at each wave. From pre- to intra-pandemic, WHO-5 scores decreased (−4.59, 95 %CI=−6.18 to −2.99, p < 0.001), while PC-scores increased (+6.68, 95 %CI=4.48–8.88, p < 0.001) significantly, following distinct time patterns but both returning to near pre-pandemic levels. Changes in both scores varied by country. WHO-5 scores correlated strongly with P C and subdomain scores. Both score changes were significantly but minimally associated to COVID-19 deaths/stringency index. The proportion of children screening positive for depression increased from 3.9 % to 8.3 % (χ²=145.70, p < 0.001) and for major depression from 0.6 % to 2.2 % (χ²=68.64, p < 0.001) intrapandemic. WHO-5 and P C -score changes were significantly associated with female gender, school closure, and pre-existing physical and mental conditions, with cumulative effects. The five most frequently endorsed coping strategies were family contact (85.2 %), friends (67.3 %), outdoor play (54.0 %), pet interaction (51.5 %), and internet use (50.9 %). Identified risk groups and coping strategies can inform targeted interventions and global public health policy. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; Identifier: NCT04383470",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 214,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Agorastos Agorastos"
    },
    {
      "name": "Trevor Thompson"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marco Solmi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Samuele Cortese"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andrés Estradé"
    },
    {
      "name": "Joaquim Radua"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elena Dragioti"
    },
    {
      "name": "Davy Vancampfort"
    },
    {
      "name": "Lau Caspar Thygesen"
    },
    {
      "name": "Harald Aschauer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Monika Schlögelhofer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elena Aschauer"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andres Schneeberger"
    },
    {
      "name": "Christian Huber"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gregor Hasler"
    },
    {
      "name": "Philippe Conus"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kim Do Cuénod"
    },
    {
      "name": "Roland von Känel"
    },
    {
      "name": "Gonzalo Arrondo"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paolo Fusar-Poli"
    },
    {
      "name": "Philip Gorwood"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pierre-Michel Llorca"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marie-Odile Krebs"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elisabetta Scanferla"
    },
    {
      "name": "Taishiro Kishimoto"
    },
    {
      "name": "Golam Rabbani"
    },
    {
      "name": "Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paolo Brambilla"
    },
    {
      "name": "Angela Favaro"
    },
    {
      "name": "Akihiro Takamiya"
    },
    {
      "name": "Leonardo Zoccante"
    },
    {
      "name": "Marco Colizzi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Julie Bourgin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Karol Kamiński"
    },
    {
      "name": "Maryam Moghadasin"
    },
    {
      "name": "Soraya Seedat"
    },
    {
      "name": "Evan Matthews"
    },
    {
      "name": "John Wells"
    },
    {
      "name": "Emilia Vassilopoulou"
    },
    {
      "name": "Ary Gadelha"
    },
    {
      "name": "Kuan-Pin Su"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jun Soo Kwon"
    },
    {
      "name": "Minah Kim"
    },
    {
      "name": "Taeyoung Lee"
    },
    {
      "name": "Oleg Papsuev"
    },
    {
      "name": "Denisa Manková"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andrea Boscutti"
    },
    {
      "name": "Cristiano Gerunda"
    },
    {
      "name": "Diego Saccon"
    },
    {
      "name": "Elena Righi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Francesco Monaco"
    },
    {
      "name": "Giovanni Croatto"
    },
    {
      "name": "Guido Cereda"
    },
    {
      "name": "Jacopo Demurtas"
    },
    {
      "name": "Natascia Brondino"
    },
    {
      "name": "Nicola Veronese"
    },
    {
      "name": "Paolo Enrico"
    },
    {
      "name": "Pierluigi Politi"
    },
    {
      "name": "Valentina Ciappolino"
    },
    {
      "name": "Andrea Pfennig"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7mtswh032dbkz.bib",
  "cited_by": 2,
  "doi": "10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7mtswh032dbkz",
  "issns": [
    "0924-977X",
    "1873-7862"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://hal.science/hal-05804465v1",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "hal",
      "0.sdv"
    ],
    [
      "hal",
      "1.sdv.mhep"
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      "hal",
      "2.sdv.mhep.psm"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "3203|COVID-19 and Mental Health"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W4417451582",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-17",
  "publisher": "Elsevier",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7mtswh032dbkz.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:17:58Z",
      "native_id": "hal-05804465",
      "source": "hal",
      "url": "https://hal.science/hal-05804465v1"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "hal:0.sdv",
      "subfield": "general"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "hal:2.sdv.mhep.psm",
      "subfield": "psychiatry"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Mental health, coping and related risk factors during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in children: Nationally representative, multi-wave, cross-sectional results from 12 countries from the global COH-FIT study",
  "title_text": "Mental health, coping and related risk factors during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in children: Nationally representative, multi-wave, cross-sectional results from 12 countries from the global COH-FIT study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:17:58Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7mtswh032dbkz",
  "venue": "European Neuropsychopharmacology",
  "versions": []
}