Croatian Earthquake during 2021 COVID Lockdown is a study examining how the 2020 Zagreb earthquakes, striking simultaneously with COVID-19 lockdowns, affected the mental health of Croatian children.

The research asked a deceptively hard question: when two large-scale stressors land on the same cohort at once, what are their individual and joint effects on children's mental health? To answer it, the team ran a web-based survey of parents in February 2021, drawing a sample of 22,202. Exposure to COVID-19 and earthquake-related stressors was measured with scales constructed for the study, while posttraumatic stress symptoms and anxiety/depression were assessed using the CATS-C and RCADS-25-P instruments. Demographic data captured gender and age, and regression analyses identified predictors and tested for interactions between the two stressor types.

The findings were clear and consistent. Impaired mental health was more likely among girls, among children directly affected by the earthquake or whose homes suffered greater damage, and among those at elevated risk of severe COVID-19 illness or with an at-risk family member. Children who had to leave home — even temporarily — due to earthquake damage showed significantly higher PTSD and anxiety/depression symptoms. Anxiety and depression were also elevated when a family member was self-isolating. The two stressors showed only limited interaction, the risk skewed toward girls, and no age differences emerged. This work was produced by a large group of psychologists and analysts with ties to Croatia, including 📝Igor Mikloušić.