Psychoeducational consequences of COVID-19 on the health of infants and adolescents: integrative review

Anabel Sarduy-Lugo, Facultad de Ciencias Sociales y de la Salud, Universidad Estatal Península Santa Elena, Santa Elena, Ecuador
Mirelys Sarduy-Lugo, Departamento de Docencia e Investigación, Hospital Pediátrico Universitario José Luis Miranda, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba
Ma. Caridad Mederos-Machado, Carrera de Educación, Facultad de Educación e Idiomas, Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, La Libertad, Santa Elena, Ecuador
Taimí N. Abrahantes-Rodríguez, Departamento de Docencia Municipal, Policlínico Docente Mártires del 8 de abril, Quemado de Güines, Villa Clara, Cuba
Anniabel C. Cardet-Sarduy, Facultad de Sistemas y Telecomunicaciones, Universidad Estatal Península de Santa Elena, La Libertad, Santa Elena, Ecuador
Yuleidy Fernández-Rodríguez, Departamento Anestesiología y Reanimación, Hospital Oncológico Universitario Celestino Hernández Robau, Santa Clara, Villa Clara, Cuba

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic triggered effects on all stages of people’s psychoeducational development, with emphasis on infants and university students. Each of them had to face these changes in a different way, which had consequences for their psychological well-being and health. Objective: Analyze the scientific evidence related to the psychoeducational consequences generated by the COVID-19 pandemic in infants and adolescents. Method: Integrative review of the scientific literature published from January 2020 to December 2024. For its execution, the seven stages suggested by the INTEGRA methodology were considered. It was carried out through the analysis of 39 documents that were identified in databases SciELO, Google Scholar, PubMed, Dialnet, Elsevier and Latindex, disclosed in full text. 1228 texts were excluded because they were duplicates, not full text, unrelated to the topic or with an undefined methodology. To analyze the data, the content analysis method was used. Results: Among the clinical psychological symptoms highlighted by the reviewed literature are anxiety, irritability, insomnia, sadness, fear and increased attachment. The consequences in the educational order showed an increase in concern about school performance in adolescents and learning difficulties in infants due to the limitations of experiential teaching and the reduction of socialization and play. Conclusions: The analysis of the psychoeducational consequences derived from scientific evidence encourages the implementation of interventions with a multidisciplinary approach aimed at mitigating the negative effects caused by confinement in infants and adolescents.

Keywords: Psychological well-being. Quarantine. COVID-19. Pandemics. Adolescent health. Child health.