Is SARS‐CoV‐2 seroconversion a risk factor for severe and acute psychiatric symptoms in children?

Abstract

ABSTRACT Aims Since the beginning of the COVID pandemic, studies reported an increase in children’s mental health issues and questioned the impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 on psychiatric symptoms. Methods We compared COVID seroconversion in children hospitalized with acute, severe psychiatric symptoms (n = 52) with the sex‐ and age‐matched control group (n = 52) living in the same low‐income geographic area and sampled during the same time period. Results Contrary to our hypothesis, we observed less seroconverted children with psychiatric conditions 9.61% (95% CI, 3.59‐21.80) vs 34.61% (95% CI, 22.33‐49.16; χ2 = 14.7, P = 1.24E−4; OR = 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05‐0.64). Conclusion This suggests a lower direct impact of SARS‐CoV‐2 compared with the impact of mitigation strategies on psychiatric symptom deterioration in children reported since early stages of the pandemic.

Keywords

• children
• mental health
• pandemic
• psychiatric symptoms
• SARS‐CoV‐2