Aims: The aim of this study is to provide more information on the relation between the COVID-19 pandemic and externalizing problems in children and adolescents with mental health problems. In...Show moreAims: The aim of this study is to provide more information on the relation between the COVID-19 pandemic and externalizing problems in children and adolescents with mental health problems. In addition, this study examined the potential influence of gender and age on the relation between the COVID-19 pandemic and externalizing problems. Methods: This study is based on a between-subjects design that examined externalizing problems among children and adolescents between the ages of 8 and 18 years in a youth care sample (N = 3,215) before the COVID-19 pandemic (April 1, 2019–March 10, 2020, N = 1,873) and during the pandemic (March 11, 2020–April 1, 2021, N = 1,342). The Child Behavioral Checklist (CBCL) was used to measure externalizing problems. Parents or legal guardians filled in this questionnaire at the beginning of treatment. Results: No increases in externalizing problems were found in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to children and adolescents before the pandemic. In addition, gender and age did not influence the relation between the COVID-19 pandemic and externalizing problems significantly. Conclusions: Our results are not in line with most previous research. However, they are in line with recent research that found initial increases in mental health problems at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, but not over time. This research contributes to the knowledge and sheds new light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and adolescents referred to youth care.Show less
Background. Chronotype influences both sleep characteristics and behavior. Evening oriented children are more at risk to develop behavioral problems compared to morning oriented children....Show moreBackground. Chronotype influences both sleep characteristics and behavior. Evening oriented children are more at risk to develop behavioral problems compared to morning oriented children. Insufficient sleep is common during childhood and can lead to behavioral problems. However, the association of sleep duration, chronotype and behavioral problems remains unclear, especially in children. Therefore, the current study examined the degree to which sleep duration acts as a mediator of the influence of chronotype on behavioral problems in Dutch non-clinical 9-11 year old children. Method. The sample consisted 483 children, 219 boys and 264 girls, with a mean age of 10.49 year old. Sleep duration was assessed with sleep diaries. Chronotype was measured using Children´s Chronotype Questionnaire (CCTQ) and behavioral problems were assessed with Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Results. Regression analyses showed chronotype was a significant predictor of sleep duration (= -.10, p = .035), externalizing ( = .10, p = .030), but not internalizing behavioral problems (= .04, p = .410). Sleep duration was not significantly related to internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. Furthermore, sleep duration did not act as a mediator between chronotype and internalizing (= .01, p = .900) or externalizing behavioral problems (= -.01, p = .869). Conclusions. Evening orientated children are more at risk to develop externalizing behavioral problems, which may lead to psychopathology and poor school performances. Short sleep is associated with eveningness and increased externalizing behavioral problems. Yet, sleep duration did not mediate the influence of chronotype on behavioral problems. Eveningness is identified as a possible risk factor. Early intervention to shift chronotype orientation to morningness or the use of flexible school times adjusted to optimal sleep-wake patterns might prevent problems later in life. More research is needed to provide understanding how the relation between sleep duration, chronotype and behavioral problems develops.Show less
