COVID-19's Impact on School-Age Children and Adolescents Mental Health and Social Development in the United States: A Systematic Review

This systematic review examines how COVID-19 school closures and remote learning impacted the mental health and social development of children and adolescents in the United States. Drawing from developmental theories proposed by Erik Erikson, Albert Bandura, and Lev Vygotsky, this review explores how reduced peer interactions, disrupted routines, and prolonged social isolation affected children during critical developmental periods. Using the PRISMA framework, 1,973 articles were reviewed, and six quantitative studies met the inclusion criteria. Together, these six studies examined the experiences of over 1.3 million children and adolescents enrolled in public schools across the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings consistently showed increased in anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, behavioral difficulties, reduced social connectedness, and declines in academic performance following school closures and remote instruction. Several studies also identified protective factors, including parental support and school connectedness, as well as risk factors such as income loss and parental stress. Overall, this review supports the argument that COVID-19 school closures had significant negative effects on children's emotional well-being and social development. These findings emphasize the importance of social interaction, routine, and social connectedness during childhood and adolescence, while also highlighting the need for future longitudinal research aimed at supporting youth affected by prolonged isolation and disrupted education.