39

Since the beginning of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic, its serious health consequences, and the multiple and unprecedented restrictions put in place to protect populations from contamination and to limit the transmission of the virus, have had significant effects on French children/teenagers, causing them a great deal of anxiety. This unprecedented and anxiety-provoking situation has had negative effects on the mental health of young people (Vandentorren, Khirredine, Estevez, De Stefano, Rezzoug, Oppenchaim et al., 2021). This study proposes to contribute to the existing literature on the psychological distress of children and adolescents, in particular in the context of a pandemic. More precisely, on the one hand, the aim is to identify the roles played by the level of anxiety related to this situation and, on the other hand, to assess the perceived support. Going beyond the effects of lockdown on mental health, this study explores the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic during the second and third waves. To do this, we will draw on data collected as part of a cross-sectional survey carried out by UNICEF France between October 2021 and March 2022. The survey in question concerns 25,300 children and adolescents aged six to eighteen who responded to a self-administered paper or online questionnaire related to various aspects. The results show that the prevalence of self-reported psychological distress is relatively high, thus confirming the hypothesis of a link between anxiety about COVID-19 and a lack of perceived social support, which are factors associated with psychological distress.