Background: Children are a vulnerable population in terms of the impact
of COVID-19 on their psychological well-being. When restricted to their homes,
children are susceptible to problematic Internet gaming (PG). Primary school boys
are particularly at risk of PG, which may lead to negative psychological effects,
such as distress. Emerging research has identified perceived weight stigma (PWS)
as a variable closely associated with both PG and psychological distress,
particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to
evaluate the trajectory of psychological distress among this vulnerable
population from a longitudinal perspective, evaluating the role of PG and PWS.
Methods: Self-report measures were used to assess psychological
distress, PG, and PWS among primary school boys (grades 4 to grade 6; N
= 283). Data were collected across three waves: before the pandemic, during
school closure, and following the lifting of restrictions.
Results: The trajectory of psychological distress among primary school
boys was concave, indicating their mental health was negatively impacted during
home restriction but recovered after the lockdown ended (linear change = 0.98,
p
