Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Emotional State of School Children

Objective: This study was conducted to determine school children’s (8–10 years of age) feelings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This study was descriptive. The study was conducted online between March 1 and June 17, 2022, with 49 children and their parents living in Türkiye who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate. Results: Our study found that the anxiety scores of children who were diagnosed themselves or had someone in their families diagnosed were higher than those who were not diagnosed. According to the drawing technique, the rate of insecurity and anger was higher in children with a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 compared to those without a diagnosis. According to the results of the correlation, statistically significant relationships were found between anxiety scores and shyness (p=.031), between impulsivity and insecurity (p=.000), between impulsivity and anger (p=.029), and between insecurity and anger (p=.029). Conclusions: Nurses should be aware of the social and emotional impact of pandemics on children and be able to use the drawing method, a therapeutic communication technique, to determine children’s perceptions of the pandemic process and how they are affected by it.