*2.1. Participants and Settings*

We used a cross-sectional survey design to assess the psychological effects of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic on both parents and children, using an anonymous online questionnaire. The online survey was administered using some common tools found on smartphones (e.g., WhatsApp, Facebook) or e-mail. Potential study participants were identified through school records of the main primary and secondary schools in the province of Messina, Sicily, after a previous contact with the principal, who informed teachers and parents about our research.

Inclusion criteria for parents were: (i) to live in Messina, and (ii) to be the main person responsible for the DL of the children. To be included in the study, children had to attend compulsory education with an age range of 5–16 years.

The final sample consisted of 96 parents (94.8% women; mean age in years 44.62 ± 5.30) and 96 children (51% females; mean age in years 11.81 ± 3.23).

#### *2.2. Procedures*

Participants were interviewed online, as it was not possible to administer tests using face-to-face modalities, due to the restrictive measures of the COVID-19 pandemic. They filled out the questionnaires in Italian, through an online survey platform, reached by a simple link (Table 1). The data collection was performed from 17 March 2020 to 2 May 2021.


**Table 1.** Descriptive analysis of children's and caregivers' characteristics.

Mean ± standard deviation are used to describe continuous variables; proportions (numbers and percentages) are used to describe categorical variables.

This study complies with the principles contained in the Declaration of Helsinki and all participants provided informed consent. Anonymity was guaranteed by the online form, in which the data were password-protected and managed only by those responsible for the research.
