COVID-19 pandemic impact on children and adolescents' mental health: Biological, environmental, and social factors

Since the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was announced, we had an unprecedented change in the way we organize ourselves socially and in our daily routine. Children and adolescents were also greatly impacted by the abrupt withdrawal from school, social life and outdoor activities. Some of them also experienced domestic violence growing. The stress they are subjected to directly impacts their mental health on account of increased anxiety, changes in their diets and in school dynamics, fear or even failing to scale the problem. Our aim is to bring up a discussion under different aspects and to alert public health and government agents about the need for surveillance and care of these individuals. We hope that the damage to their mental health as a result of the side effect of this pandemic can be mitigated by adequate and timely intervention. •COVID-19 has a multifactorial impact on children and adolescents populations.•Stressors of COVID-19 pandemic can trigger neuroinflammation and behavioral impairments.•Social isolation stress can induce neuroimmunoendocrine changes during early life.•The pandemic stressors early in life may lead to neuropsychiatric outcomes in adulthood.•Health policies to mitigate mental health outcomes of COVID-19 must be implemented.