“Although earlier studies reported that young people were having lesser headaches due to the closure of schools in the early weeks and months of Covid-19, this longer-term study has found that stresses and pressures of the pandemic eventually took their toll,” said lead researcher Ayse Nur Ozdag Acarli from Ermenek State Hospital in Karaman, Turkey.
For the study, the team analyzed 851 adolescents aged between 10 and 18, with 756 (89%) of children reporting headaches over the study period. Among these children, 10% reported new-onset headaches over the pandemic home-schooling period. Over a quarter (27%) of children said their headaches had worsened, 61% said their headaches had remained stable and 3% said their headaches had improved.
Headaches and Online Classes
Over half of children within this group (43%) used pain-killers at least once a month compared to a third (33%) in the stable group.
The study found that headaches had a big impact on mental health and school achievements. Depression and anxiety scores, including anxiety about catching Covid-19, were significantly higher in the worsened and new-onset headache groups.
Source: IANS
