Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Children and Adolescents’ Mental Health in Bangladesh: A Qualitative Study in Gazipur City

The COVID-19 virus has had a huge impact on human civilization all around the world. People's psychological states in affected countries have changed as a result of the economic shutdown and contact restrictions. COVID-19 has created a complex set of factors that affect children's and adolescents’ mental health. Less attention is being paid to identifying the factors and causes affecting the children and adolescents linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this regard, using a qualitative approach, this study focused on exploring and describing the factors associated with COVID-19 and illustrating the pandemic's impact on the well-being of children and adolescents in the Gazipur City Corporation area. This study interviewed 35 families to better understand the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic limitations and the nationwide lockdown. The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) method was used in the research procedure. Parents and children highlighted the negative effects of constraints on young people’s mental health. According to the study, various psychological and social variables are to blame for the changing mental health status during the pandemic period. The research concludes that poor psychological conditions, disturbances in daily life structure, and the full restriction period of the pandemic were highly responsible for creating stress, anxiety, and depression among children and adolescents. Besides, the findings highlight the impact of severe restrictions on children with physically disabling conditions.