Background: The past 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic were stressful for most children and adolescents; some children may have experienced a high level of stress and trauma. To date, no study has examined self-reported stress and trauma levels due to COVID-19 in children. This study aimed to assess perceived threat, exposure and trauma symptoms in children aged 7–13 years. In addition, we explored whether parent-reported factors could predict a higher risk of COVID-19 vulnerability in their children. Method: Cross-sectional data were collected from 752 children to assess COVID-19 threat, exposure and trauma symptoms using the self- and parent-reported Child and Adolescent Trauma Screening Self-Report (CATS) Trauma questionnaire. We used exploratory analyses (factor analysis of mixed data and hierarchical clustering) to identify subgroups (i.e., clusters) of children sharing similar characteristics in the dataset. Linear regression modeling was applied to determine the likelihood of higher threat and vulnerability in children with parent-reported COVID-19 threat, exposure, CATS trauma symptoms, behaviors on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and posttraumatic growth (PTG). Results: We identified a high-risk group of children reporting clinically relevant trauma symptoms and COVID-19-related fears. Parents’ reports of trauma could be used to identify children at high risk. Conclusions: Approximately 25% of children reported moderate to clinically relevant levels of trauma symptom. It is especially important to offer adequate support to these children to ease the trauma and prevent their symptoms from developing into psychopathology.

Summary: Purpose: This study aimed to compare the mental health outcomes of children in North Tyrol, Austria, and South Tyrol, Italy, during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, considering the sociocultural and contextual differences between the two regions. Methods: The Tyrolean COVID-19 Children’s Study (TCCS: n = 401; June 2021 to July 2021) and the Corona and Psyche in South Tyrol 2021 Study (COP‑S; n = 3402; May 2021 to June 2021) were used for data analyses. Both studies employed cross-sectional designs and collected data through online questionnaires completed by children aged 7–13 years and their parents. Various psychosocial assessment tools including the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screening, Children Anxiety Test, Child Behavior Check List, Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, and Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children were used in the surveys. Results: The comparison between North Tyrol and South Tyrol revealed no significant differences in perceived threats, trauma, or anxiety among children. Similarly, there were no substantial disparities in psychosomatic complaints, indicating similar manifestations of emotional distress across the two regions. Conclusion: The comparative analysis of children’s mental health outcomes in North Tyrol and South Tyrol during the COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the analogous influence of sociocultural and contextual factors on their wellbeing. Despite presumable variations in pandemic events, management strategies, and healthcare systems, the study suggests comparable resilience among children and highlights the importance of sociocultural factors in shaping their wellbeing. The findings emphasize the need for comprehensive understanding and targeted interventions to support children’s mental health during challenging times.

Background The past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic were stressful to most children and adolescents, and some of the children may have experienced a high level of stress and trauma. To date, no study has examined differences in self-reported stress and trauma levels due to COVID-19 in children. This study aimed to assess the differences between perceived threat, exposure and trauma symptoms in children aged 7–13 years. In addition, we explored whether parent-reported factors could predict a higher risk of COVID-19 vulnerability in their children. Method Cross-sectional data from 752 children were assessed with regard to COVID-19 threat and exposure and trauma symptoms using the self- and parent-reported CATS Trauma questionnaire. We used exploratory data analysis methods (factor analysis of mixed data and hierarchical clustering) to identify subgroups (i.e. clusters) of children sharing similar characteristics in the data set. Linear regression modelling was applied to determine the likelihood of higher threat and vulnerability in children with parent-reported COVID-19 threat, exposure, CATS trauma symptoms and behaviour using the child behaviour checklist (CBCL). Results We identified a high-risk group of children reporting clinically relevant trauma symptoms and COVID-19 related fears. Parents’ reports of trauma could identify these. Conclusions In about 25% of children clinical relevant trauma symptoms and threat are present. It is especially important to offer adequate support to ease the trauma and prevent development into further psychopathology.