Compliance and Psychological Impact of Quarantine in Children and Adolescents due to Covid-19 Pandemic

Objectives To examine a cohort of children and adolescents quarantined during Coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak in India and to describe their understanding of, compliance with and the psychological impact of quarantine experience. Methods One hundred twenty one children and adolescents along with their parents were interviewed regarding their compliance and psychological distress during the quarantine period. A comparable data was also obtained from 131 children and adolescents who were not quarantined. Results Most of the children and adolescents were non-compliant as compliance with all requirements was low (7.43%), though compliance with community protective measures (17.35%) was better than compliance with household protective measures (10.71%). Quarantined children and adolescents experienced greater psychological distress than non-quarantined children and adolescents (p <0.001). Worry (68.59%), helplessness (66.11%) and fear (61.98%) were the most common feelings experienced under quarantine. Conclusions The low compliance with quarantine requirements as seen in this study raises a serious concern about the effectiveness of quarantine as a preventive measure of disease transmission. Compliance and mental health problems can be improved by providing adequate financial support and enhanced knowledge about pandemic planning.