Background: COVID-19 is having a significant impact on long term children' and adolescents' psychological health. We aimed to evaluate the direct early psychological and behavioural signs related to the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak and related confinement on children and adolescents.
Methods: Children and adolescents' drawings were collected for a limited time window (16th March-10th April 2020) and analyzed. Their parents were asked in the following month to answer a qualitative e-survey on somatic complaints and behavioral changes of the participating children/adolescents.
Results: Ninety-eight drawings by children/adolescents (mean age 7.01±2.83 years) were analysed. Analyses of the 98 drawings reported signs of trauma in all (of them, 60.2% with moderate-to high levels). Children aged 3-5 years were more impacted, followed by preadolescents/adolescents aged 11-17 years. Parents reported somatic complaints in the 71.1% of their children/adolescents: the most frequent were increased appetite (35.6%), abdominal pain (20.0%) and headache (20.0%). Behavioral changes were observed in 77.8% of subjects: increased appetite (35.6%), abdominal pain (20.0%) and headache (20.0%) were more represented.
Conclusions: Early psychological distress related to COVID-19 pandemic was observed both in children and in adolescents by the analysis of drawings and confirmed by their parents. Implementation of mental health-care services for preventing future psychopathological problems is mandatory.