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Changes in young children's behavior following COVID-19 pandemic onset: A tale of three cities

Year: 2026

Type: article

Study design: Observational Study

Abstract: Several reports have described increases in children's behavior problems since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, but few were based on prospective data or represented groups who disproportionately experienced pandemic-related hardships. This study followed low-income and racially diverse young children from 3 U.S. cities-New York, NY, Pittsburgh, PA, and Tulsa, OK-with repeated measures of child behavior between 2016 and 2023. A total of 1,124 children were included (50% female; 48% Hispanic/Latine; 30% Black; 22% White/Other race/ethnicity; aged 3-7 at pandemic onset). Results reveal different patterns of behavior change by city. In New York, children's behavior stayed the same or slightly improved following the pandemic onset, whereas it stayed the same or got slightly worse in Tulsa, and got worse in Pittsburgh. Future studies of pandemic impacts should consider regional variation.

Source: Child Development

DOI: 10.1093/chidev/aacag016

Authors: Anne Martin, Anna M Wright, Alan L Mendelsohn, Rachel S Gross, Elizabeth B Miller, Pamela A Morris-Perez, Daniel S Shaw, Seth D Pollak, Gabriela Livas, Anna D Johnson

Institutions: Georgetown University, New York University, University of Pittsburgh, University of Wisconsin–Madison, The University of Texas at Austin

Language: English

Topic: COVID-19 and Mental Health

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: green

Funders: Spencer Foundation, Foundation for Child Development, University of Oklahoma, Heising-Simons Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Awards: G1090788452, The Role of Self-Regulation and Classroom Self-Regulatory Supports in Early Education, G4401840446, Integrated model for promoting parenting and early school readiness in pediatrics: Follow-up and getting ready for scale, G582340287, G6123961925, G9000342841, Mitigating Effects of Public Health Disruptions through Preventive Interventions for Families with Young Children Living in Poverty: Linking Data from 3 Cities

OpenAlex ID: W7141521584

FWCI: 8.091

Cites: 48

Cited by: 1

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