Children's and adolescents' memories from COVID‐19
Author Information
Author(s): Hjuler Tirill Fjellhaugen, Lee Daniel, Ghetti Simona
Primary Institution: Aarhus University Hospital—Psychiatry
Hypothesis
The study examines age- and gender-related differences in autobiographical memory about the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns and whether the content of these memories predicts psychological adjustment over time.
Conclusion
Memories of the COVID-19 lockdowns weakened over time, and those with higher levels of negative affect and factual information predicted worse psychological well-being.
Supporting Evidence
- Memories weakened over time in detail and emotional valence.
- Psychological well-being decreased over time, especially among adolescent females.
- Memories with higher negative affect predicted worse psychological well-being.
Takeaway
Kids and teens remembered less about the COVID-19 lockdowns as time went on, and those who focused more on negative feelings in their memories felt worse later on.
Methodology
The study used a longitudinal design to assess autobiographical memories and mental health at three time points from June 2020 to June 2021.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported data and the challenges younger children faced in completing the tasks.
Limitations
The study relied on retrospective assessments of well-being and had different data collection procedures across time points.
Participant Demographics
Participants were 247 students aged 8 to 16 years, with 51.4% female and 85.4% White.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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