Mental Health and Wellbeing Implications of the COVID-19 Quarantine for Disabled and Disadvantaged Children and Young People: Evidence from a Cross-cultural Study in Zambia and Sierra Leone

Article

Sharpe, D., Rajabi, M., Chileshe, C., Joseph, S. M., Sesay, I., Williams, J. and Sait, S. 2021. Mental Health and Wellbeing Implications of the COVID-19 Quarantine for Disabled and Disadvantaged Children and Young People: Evidence from a Cross-cultural Study in Zambia and Sierra Leone. BMC Psychology. 9 (Art. 79). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00583-w

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Authors	Sharpe, D., Rajabi, M., Chileshe, C., Joseph, S. M., Sesay, I., Williams, J. and Sait, S.
Abstract	Background The mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantining on children and young people (CYP) living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) has yet to be fully comprehended. CYP in LMICs are at utmost risk, given the COVID-19-related restrictions and social distancing measures, resulting in reduced access to school-based services for nutritional and mental health needs. This study examined mental health of CYP during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Zambia and Sierra Leone. Method A total of 468 disabled and disadvantaged CYP aged 12 to 25 completed a planning tool that comprised the short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (SWEMWBS), as well as open-ended questions covering social connectedness, physical distancing and educational challenges during the lockdown. The community coaches screened individuals and families who could be eligible to receive emergency aid, and based on a convenience sample following distribution of aid, recipients were invited to complete the online planning tool. Results The data showed that participants in the global south have increasing anxieties and fears centred on accessing offline educational resources and income loss in the family effecting food security and their ability to return to education. Mean (SD) SWEMWBS scores for all participants in Zambia and Sierra Leone, were 19.61 (3.45) and 21.65 (2.84), respectively. Mental well-being scores were lower in females, children aged 12-14 and participants with two or more disabilities. Factors significantly associated with poor mental wellbeing in the sample were: type of disability, nationality, peer relationships, connection to others during the pandemic, knowledge about COVID-19, worry about the long-term impact of COVID-19, and the types of self-isolating. Conclusion The study shows that participants who self-reported low levels of COVID-19 health literacy also scored low on the mental wellbeing self-assessment. Yet, despite undoubted limited resources, these CYP are doing well in identifying their needs and maintaining hope in the face of the problems associated with COVID-19 in countries where stigma persists around mental ill-health.
Keywords	COVID-19 pandemic; children and young people mental health; disabled; disadvantaged; Zambia; Sierra Leone; cross-cultural study; low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)
Journal	BMC Psychology
Journal citation	9 (Art. 79)
ISSN	2050-7283
Year	2021
Publisher	BMC
Accepted author manuscript	License CC BY 4.0 File Access Level Repository staff only
Publisher's version	s40359-021-00583-w.pdf License CC BY 4.0 File Access Level Anyone
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)	https://doi.org/10.1186/s40359-021-00583-w
Online	15 May 2021
Publication process dates
Accepted	29 Apr 2021
Deposited	29 Apr 2021
Funder	UKRI
Copyright holder	© 2021 The Authors.

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