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Children’s depression doubled during Covid, global study finds

Children’s depression doubled during Covid, global study finds

Rates of depression in children more than doubled during the pandemic, according to a major international study.

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Published: March 3, 2026 at 7:03 AM

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The number of children showing signs of depression more than doubled during the Covid pandemic, according to one of the largest international studies of its kind.

Researchers analysing data from more than 6,000 children aged 6 to 13 across 12 countries found significant drops in wellbeing during lockdown periods, alongside sharp rises in symptoms of anxiety, low mood and stress.

While the findings show that most children’s mental health improved again by mid-2022, experts say certain groups were hit much harder than others.

Depression rates rose sharply during the pandemic

The study, published in European Neuropsychopharmacology, tracked nationally representative samples of 6,067 children between April 2020 and May 2022 .

Comparing children’s wellbeing before and during the pandemic, researchers found:

The proportion of children screening positive for depression rose from 3.9% pre-pandemic to 8.3% during the pandemic
Rates of major depression increased from 0.6% to 2.2%

In simple terms, that means roughly one in 12 children showed signs of depression at the height of the pandemic, compared to around one in 25 beforehand.

Overall wellbeing scores fell significantly, while measures of general mental health difficulties increased across most participating countries .

UK children saw a significant drop in wellbeing

The UK was among the countries where children experienced a clear decline in wellbeing.

Researchers found a significant fall in wellbeing scores among UK children during the pandemic, alongside a significant rise in overall mental health difficulties .

Across all 12 countries studied, wellbeing dropped by an average of 4.59 points, while overall mental health difficulty scores rose by 6.68 points compared with pre-pandemic levels .

However, there was some reassurance. By summer 2022, both wellbeing and mental health scores had largely returned to near pre-pandemic levels .

Girls and vulnerable children were hit hardest

Not all children were affected equally.

The study found that greater declines in wellbeing and bigger increases in mental health difficulties were significantly associated with:

Being female
School closures
Having a pre-existing mental health condition
Having a pre-existing physical health condition

Children who had multiple risk factors experienced even larger drops in wellbeing and sharper increases in symptoms .

Interestingly, the researchers found only a very small link between children’s mental health changes and national Covid death rates or government restriction levels, suggesting that family, school and individual factors may have played a more important role .

What helped children cope during lockdown

As well as measuring mental health, researchers asked children what helped them most during the pandemic.

The five coping strategies most often rated as “very important” were:

Contact with family, 85.2%
Contact with friends, 67.3%
Playing outside, 54%
Spending time with a pet, 51.5%
Internet use, 50.9%

The findings highlight just how central connection and routine are for primary-aged children, even during periods of disruption.

What this means for parents now

The researchers describe children as a particularly vulnerable group during global crises, noting that early life stress can have lasting developmental impacts .

While the overall trend towards recovery by 2022 is reassuring, the study suggests that girls, children with existing health needs and those facing multiple stressors may still require targeted support.

For parents, the key takeaways are practical ones:

Prioritise connection, with family and friends
Protect outdoor play and physical activity
Seek early support if your child already has health or mental health needs
Remember that dips in mood during major disruption are common, but persistent low mood is worth discussing with a GP or school

The pandemic may be behind us, but its ripple effects on children’s mental health are still being understood. This large-scale study offers both a wake-up call and a hopeful message: while many children struggled, recovery is possible, especially when the right support is in place.

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