**2. Conceptual clarifications**

#### **2.1 COVID-19 pandemic**

The 2019 novel Coronavirus disease known as COVID-19 emerged in the city of Wuhan, China around the end of 2019 and was declared a worldwide pandemic on 11th of March 2020 by the World Health Organization (WHO) [23], it defined Coronaviruses as a group of viruses in the family of Coronaviridae that infects both humans and animals. COVID-19 signs and symptoms can range from mild to severe. As a major public health emergency [24], China defines COVID-19 as a category B infectious disease [10]. COVID-19 refers to Coronavirus Disease 2019 and it belongs to the families of SARS-CoV2, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses 2; SARS-CoV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus; and MERS CoV, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus related to H1N1, Hemagglutinin Type 1 and Neuraminidase Type 1, and H5H1 Hemagglutinin Type 5, and Hemagglutinin Type 1 respectively. The signs and symptoms of COVID-19 include respiratory symptoms, fever, shortness of breath, and cough [25].

#### **2.2 Lockdown scenario**

The primary purpose of lockdown during emergency situation is to crush the outbreak of diseases among peoples, the diseases could be, SARS-CoV2, Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronaviruses 2, SARS-CoV, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus, MERS CoV, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus disease; and the African Ebola disease. During the lockdown period, the anticipated role of the government is to impose a law that would regulate the movement and also enforce people to remain at home for certain period. The lockdown scenario should strictly prohibit large gathering of people in one place, for example, place of religions, markets, schools, hotels, and nightclubs among others [26]. Referring to the opinion of the health experts who have suggested that a complete lockdown is the only measure to stop the exponential infectivity rates of the virus.

In Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari administration announced the first phase of lockdown on 27th April, 2020, the lockdown period commenced between 4th and 7th May, 2020 for two weeks in the federal capital territories (FCT) Abuja and Lagos [8]. Similarly, the second phase of lockdown was announced on 18th May, 2020 and ended on 1st June, 2020 respectively. More so, two weeks extension of the first phase was further declared, which lasted from 18 May to 1 June 2020. However, the second phase of the gradual easing of the lockdown commenced on 2 June 2020 and lasted for four weeks, which ended on June 29, 2020 as directed by the federal government of Nigeria.

Lockdown has numerous effects. Parvin et al. in Ref. [27] studied on the Psychosocial Anxiety from Lockdown Due to COVID-19 to Income Earner of the Family: An Evidence from Northern Bangladesh. The study attempts to understand the socio-economic crisis and mental stress in managing the family within the limited resources of Bangladesh during the lockdown period. The outcome of the study revealed that lockdown scenario has consequences on men's socioeconomic status and states of psychological development, and it has also attendant health and mental problems, sleeping disorders, reinforcement of hardship on medical system, and inabilities of some families to meet up their obligations, generating short displeasure and confusion in the family.

#### **2.3 Psychosocial problems**

The lockdown measures posed a terrible effect on the soci0-economic activities of the people in many states of Nigeria [28], including activities such as religious worship, marriage ceremonies, market activities of buying and selling, and movement of goods and services from one state to another or within the state. The COVID-19 pandemic in Nigeria accorded with the security challenges also added salt to the body physique of Nigerians and brought down development indices to all-time low with underdevelopment and unemployment rate currently at 55% with an external debt burden of 79.5 billion dollars [29]. The outbreak of this virus in Nigeria also brought about a decline in the Growth Domestic Product, which was contracted by **−**2.48; household purchasing power declined, inflation rose to 14.7%, and 40% of the population fell below the poverty line [30].

Unlike other affected countries, the lockdown in Nigeria has not only subjected the already vulnerable households to hunger but also created more tensions, violence, and unfortunate killings of people by either hoodlums who are hungry and resort to attacking neighboring households for food [31]. The socio-economic effect of this pandemic has seriously affected families and well-being in general. On the one hand, it has had undesirable physical and psychological consequences that affect society, families, and individuals [9, 32]. On the other hand, studies indicated that the prevalence rates of depression and general anxiety during the COVID-19 period were higher than the rates before the pandemic [2].

#### **2.4 Causes of psychosocial problems among girl children during the COVID-19 pandemic**

"School alone cannot meet the basic psychosocial needs of children" [33]. Consequently, students face many circumstances in school and the outcome may lead to psychosocial and health problems rather than for the school to be a source of positive socialization. In this direction, many children in the school experienced an uncaring and unsupportive environment, which can have detrimental consequences on their mental health. The psychosocial aspects of depression are considered with respect to psychological factors (i.e., thinking, personality, and coping style) and

*Psychosocial Educational and Economic Impact of COVID-19: Implication for Girl Child… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.107181*

social factors (i.e., family, relationships, employment, and life events). Most studies reported negative psychological effects, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, confusion, and anger. Stressors included longer quarantine duration, infection fears, frustration, boredom, inadequate supplies, inadequate information, financial loss, and stigma [9].

However, depression and anxiety levels were higher in households with lower incomes. Furthermore, 55% of parents with a household income of less than £16 k reported feeling "a lot" more anxious compared with 32% of those earning the most [34, 35]. One study found that the rates of mental health symptoms among the Chinese general population during the COVID-19 pandemic were 27.9% for depression and 31.6% for anxiety [36].

#### **2.5 Studies on psychosocial problems in relation to COVID-19**

However, economist and social psychologist inferred that COVID-19 pandemic, which is a global disease, has destroyed the already bad socio-economic condition of the Nigerians, to these effects, unfamiliar incidences of psychosocial problems were reported [37]. Besides that, worry about infection, specifically among individuals with health conditions related to increased risk for severe COVID-19 such as diabetes mellitus and hypertension, increased social isolation, disruption of social activities, losses of family members and acquaintances to COVID-19-related mortality, and concern about financial instability due to job losses [37].

The paper reviewed five empirical studies related to psychosocial problems and covid-19 pandemic related terms. Studies revealed that there are evidences which created psychosocial problems among the individuals during covid-19 pandemic. Oginni et al. [37] studied depressive and anxiety symptoms and COVID-19-related factors among men and women in Nigeria. The study investigated psychosocial stressors known to be associated with anxiety and depressive symptoms in relation to COVID-19 among the categories of 'heterosexual' and 'non-heterosexual' (comprising 'mostly heterosexual', 'bisexual', 'mostly gay', and 'completely gay') in Nigeria. The findings revealed that, among the categories of respondents studied, female participants were identified with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly. However, COVID-19-related concerns among females such as intimate partner violence and higher worry about infection were identified as the factors that impacted higher levels of psychosocial stressors among women. Also, the study reported mental health disparities in non-heterosexual men compared with heterosexual men in Nigeria. Similarly, the findings indicate that some psychosocial factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic, including worry about infection, disruption due to the pandemic, and isolation during the lockdown, are independently associated with higher depressive and anxiety symptoms.

Banstola [38] and Timalsina et al. [39] investigated the causes of psychosocial problems among school going adolescents in Nepal. The study aimed to find out the factors that are more likely to cause psychosocial problem among adolescents. The findings identified five (5) major factors responsible among the adolescents for psychosocial problems in Nepal, which are as follows: adolescents who were facing abuse from their families, adolescents who do not feel good about their home environment, adolescents not stay with their parents, adolescents from low-income and joint families, and adolescents whose mothers are illiterate and have disrupted marital status of parents. The five categories of school-going children were more likely to develop psychosocial problems. Also, the study can be related to the Nigerian situation during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lavigne-Cervan et al. [40] studied the consequences of COVID-19 confinement on anxiety, sleep, and executive functions of children and adolescents in Spain. The

objectives of the study was to find out whether there consequences of confinement by COVID-19 on anxiety, sleep and executive functioning planning, organization, selfregulation of emotions, flexibility, time management, organization, problem solving, inhibition and containment and motivation of children and adolescents, sex, age, anxiety on the mental health of children and adolescents. The study identified three (3) categories of children of different ages and sexual levels, 9 to 12 age group expresses greater difficulties with anxiety levels while between 13- and 18-year olds express greater sleep disturbances. However, a significant difference between males with intra-sexual executive functioning groups, were also found to have a greater percentage with tendentiously maladjusted problems than their females' counterparts.

Bano and Iqbal [41] studied the cause of psychosocial and emotional problems and the development of psychopathology among university students in Pakistan. The objectives of the study were to identify the psychosocial problems among university students and factors associated with the development of psychopathology. The result of the study found that psychosocial and emotional problems and psychopathology among university students exist.
