Psychological Distress During COVID-19 Pandemic in School-age Children of Health Care Professionals.

Background: COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact on the psychosocial well-being of societies across nations.

Methods: This prospective interventional study assessed the psychological distress in children, aged 6-19 years, whose parents were health care professionals. Parents were interviewed with a set of questionnaires based on signs of psychological distress given in the UNICEF and Childline's manual "Psychosocial Support for Children during COVID-19". Reassessment with same questionnaire was done after 15 days of intervention in the form of counseling and use of toolkits provided in the manual.

Results: The mean (SD) score was highest in children whose both parents were healthcare professionals. A significant reduction in psychological distress was seen after parents were provided with knowledge about UNICEF and Childline's manual (P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Counseling activities and toolkits provided in the manual were effective in reduction of psychological distress in children during COVID-19 pandemic.