Anxiety, Depression, and Predictors amongst Iranian Students Aged 8 to 18 Years during the COVID-19 Outbreak First Peak

This study aimed to assess anxiety and depression during the COVID-19 outbreak among students aged 8 to 18 years and to determine related demographic and other related factors.

A descriptive and analytical cross sectional study was conducted through web-based data collection which included 348 students aged 8 to 18 years in the state of Mazandaran, Iran during the first peak of COVID-19. Demographic and Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-P) questionnaires were used to collect the data. The statistical tests including independent sample t test, ANOVA as well as linear regression were employed.

The average age of the subjects was reported to be 12.2 ± 3.59 years. Age, father’s occupation, following COVID-19 related news, and also nervousness related to infection were predictors of anxiety (11%). Moreover, age, mother’s occupation, family communication and also the safety protocols practiced by the family were found to be predictors of depression in students (17%). A significant relationship was also found between the effect of quarantine on family communication and the anxiety and depression in students (P < 0.001).

Demographic characteristics affect student mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. Moreover, family preventive protocols can predict depression in students aged 8 to 18 years. Better preventive precautions encourage less anxiety and depression.