Impact of changes in adolescent-adult relationships on help-seeking intention among Japanese schoolchildren

Background

The purpose of this study is to investigate changes in child–adult relationships due to the COVID–19 pandemic and help–seeking intention. Moreover, this study investigated the role of loneliness in those relationships.

Methods

We recruited children in grades 5–9, aged 10–15, using a nationally representative 2–staged cluster sampling method. Help–seeking intention was determined using a single question answered upon reading a hypothetical scenario of a child with depressive symptoms. We used modified Poisson regression models to investigate the relationship between changes in child–adult relationships and help–seeking intention, and mediation analysis to assess the role of loneliness in those relationships, respectively.

Results

Among 2187 adolescents, 623 (28.5 %) of children reported that they would not seek help if experiencing depressive symptoms. When adjusting for covariates, the children who reported considerably less time to talk with family or considerably reduced ease of talking with teachers or adults reported lower help–seeking intention (RR = 0.49 [95 % CI: 0.34–0.68] and 0.47 [95 % CI: 0.25–0.79], respectively). Loneliness mediated 63 % (95 % CI: 56–70 %) of the relationship between time to talk with family and help–seeking intention and 62 % (95 % CI: 51–73 %) of the relationship between ease of talking with teachers or adults and help–seeking intention.

Conclusion

We observed that worsened child-adult relationships decreased help–seeking intention among children. Loneliness served as a partial mediator within both associations. Interventions targeted towards improving child–adult relationships and reducing loneliness may improve help–seeking intention.