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

@article{agorastos2026mental,
  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}},
  author = {Agorastos Agorastos and Trevor Thompson and Marco Solmi and Samuele Cortese and Andrés Estradé and Joaquim Radua and Elena Dragioti and Davy Vancampfort and Lau Caspar Thygesen and Harald Aschauer and Monika Schlögelhofer and Elena Aschauer and Andres Schneeberger and Christian Huber and Gregor Hasler and Philippe Conus and Kim Do Cuénod and Roland von Känel and Gonzalo Arrondo and Paolo Fusar-Poli and Philip Gorwood and Pierre-Michel Llorca and Marie-Odile Krebs and Elisabetta Scanferla and Taishiro Kishimoto and Golam Rabbani and Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka and Paolo Brambilla and Angela Favaro and Akihiro Takamiya and Leonardo Zoccante and Marco Colizzi and Julie Bourgin and Karol Kamiński and Maryam Moghadasin and Soraya Seedat and Evan Matthews and John Wells and Emilia Vassilopoulou and Ary Gadelha and Kuan-Pin Su and Jun Soo Kwon and Minah Kim and Taeyoung Lee and Oleg Papsuev and Denisa Manková and Andrea Boscutti and Cristiano Gerunda and Diego Saccon and Elena Righi and Francesco Monaco and Giovanni Croatto and Guido Cereda and Jacopo Demurtas and Natascia Brondino and Nicola Veronese and Paolo Enrico and Pierluigi Politi and Valentina Ciappolino and Andrea Pfennig},
  journal = {European Neuropsychopharmacology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05804465v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - 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
AU  - Agorastos Agorastos
AU  - Trevor Thompson
AU  - Marco Solmi
AU  - Samuele Cortese
AU  - Andrés Estradé
AU  - Joaquim Radua
AU  - Elena Dragioti
AU  - Davy Vancampfort
AU  - Lau Caspar Thygesen
AU  - Harald Aschauer
AU  - Monika Schlögelhofer
AU  - Elena Aschauer
AU  - Andres Schneeberger
AU  - Christian Huber
AU  - Gregor Hasler
AU  - Philippe Conus
AU  - Kim Do Cuénod
AU  - Roland von Känel
AU  - Gonzalo Arrondo
AU  - Paolo Fusar-Poli
AU  - Philip Gorwood
AU  - Pierre-Michel Llorca
AU  - Marie-Odile Krebs
AU  - Elisabetta Scanferla
AU  - Taishiro Kishimoto
AU  - Golam Rabbani
AU  - Karolina Skonieczna-Żydecka
AU  - Paolo Brambilla
AU  - Angela Favaro
AU  - Akihiro Takamiya
AU  - Leonardo Zoccante
AU  - Marco Colizzi
AU  - Julie Bourgin
AU  - Karol Kamiński
AU  - Maryam Moghadasin
AU  - Soraya Seedat
AU  - Evan Matthews
AU  - John Wells
AU  - Emilia Vassilopoulou
AU  - Ary Gadelha
AU  - Kuan-Pin Su
AU  - Jun Soo Kwon
AU  - Minah Kim
AU  - Taeyoung Lee
AU  - Oleg Papsuev
AU  - Denisa Manková
AU  - Andrea Boscutti
AU  - Cristiano Gerunda
AU  - Diego Saccon
AU  - Elena Righi
AU  - Francesco Monaco
AU  - Giovanni Croatto
AU  - Guido Cereda
AU  - Jacopo Demurtas
AU  - Natascia Brondino
AU  - Nicola Veronese
AU  - Paolo Enrico
AU  - Pierluigi Politi
AU  - Valentina Ciappolino
AU  - Andrea Pfennig
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/17
JO  - European Neuropsychopharmacology
DO  - 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2025.112741
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05804465v1
AB  - 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
SN  - 0924-977X
SN  - 1873-7862
ER  -