Living arrangements and mental health of children and adolescents with vision impairments during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from China

Background: Although studies have reported the negative effect of COVID-19 on children's mental health, few studies worldwide have included children with disabilities. The mental health of visually impaired children, in particular, remains poorly understood. This study therefore investigated the mental health of children with vision impairments during the COVID-19 lockdown. Methods: We administered a questionnaire survey to visually impaired students. Data were collected between July 28 and November 20, 2022. We administered 249 questionnaires and obtained 227 valid questionnaires. A sample of Chinese children and adolescents with vision impairments (N = 227, aged 6-18 years, 46 % girls) was employed to examine the relationship between children's living arrangements and their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Compared to living with their father or other people, living with their mother reduced children's depression score by 7.258 (p < 0.01), but this effect was greater among boys than among girls. Among children who lived with their mother, the depression scores of the younger and older groups fell by 11.657 (p < 0.01) and 5.393 (p < 0.01), respectively. Parents' marital and economic status moderated the relationship between children's living arrangements and mental health. Conclusions: The mental health of visually impaired children living with their mother was notably better than that of those living with their father or other family. The government and society should pay close attention to visually impaired children and adolescents from economically disadvantaged families who lack maternal care.