Associations between pandemic experience and immediate mental health risks such as depression are well documented, but long-term effects remain unclear. This study uses data from the 2020 China Family Panel Study (CFPS) to examine the impact of early childhood exposure to the 2003 SARS pandemic on adult mental health 17 years later in China. The analysis included 6289 participants who were aged 3 to 30 years during the SARS outbreak, with a mean age at survey of 35.3 years. Adult mental health was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) and the Clinical Depression Index.
The severity of the local SARS epidemic was assessed by the cumulative number of cases per 10,000 population. The results showed that among younger children (3-12 years in 2003), each additional case per 10,000 was associated with a 1.617-fold increase in the odds of depression after age 17 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.425-1.836).
Older age group (13-30 years). This was higher for children from rural areas (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 3.64; 95% CI 2.92-4.55), poor physical health (1.98; 1.59-2.48), and children from low-income families (2.87; 2.03-4.05). The risk is higher. ). Childhood pandemic experiences increase the likelihood of developing depression-prone personality traits, contributing to the persistent effects of childhood pandemic experiences on adult mental health.
These findings highlight the long-term psychological impact of early exposure to the pandemic in children, the need for targeted interventions to mitigate its effects on younger generations, and the importance of monitoring children’s long-term mental health and personality development after the pandemic, especially in light of COVID-19.
