Impact of Digital Media on ADHD Patients during COVID 19 Quarantine (Pandemic)

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic & quarantine cause increased media usage along with positive and negative life style changes under lockdown for all children especially those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they are already at higher risk to have more psychological and behavioural problems. Objectives To assess the effect of digital media on emotional state and family environment of the children and adolescents with ADHD during pandemic and quarantine. Patients and Methods Observational cross-sectional study was conducted on 200 participants recruited from (patients from developmental and behavioral clinic and controls from other pediatrics outpatient clinics). They were divided into; 100 ADHD (43 cases with problematic digital media use (PDMU) and 57 cases without PDMU and control group (n = 100)). Detailed history was taken including sociodemographic data, age, sex, total hours of using media and total hours of activity per week The following scales had been evaluated: Self- rating questionnaire for problematic mobile phone use: which estimate the dependence symptoms of mobile phone use (which used to classify patients to ADHD with and without PDMU and control group according to its score), Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale–Short Form. Results The study showed that ADHD group with PDMU had significantly increased in total hours of watching media as well as lower activity (p < 0.001) when compared to ADHD without PDMU and control group. Also, ADHD children showed higher Anxiety and depression scores when compared to control group while non-significant differences were observed between ADHD children with PDMU, when compared to ADHD children without PDMU (p < 0.001). ADHD children with PDMU showed significantly less ability to control their emotions followed by ADHD children without PDMU then control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion The digital media use during COVID19 pandemic and quarantine, was affecting ADHD children with PDMU negatively more than ADHD without PDMU then those without ADHD as regard their regulation of emotions, total hours of using media, anxiety and depression scores.