An investigation of mental health status of children and adolescents in china during the outbreak of COVID-19

•Children and adolescents who are often neglected in the wake of the outbreak were taken as subjects to investigate their mental health status and analyze the related influencing factors during the global pandemic of COVID-19.•The presence of clinical depressive symptoms, resident in urban regions, implementation of the precaution and control measures, being female, having a family member or friend infected with coronavirus were associated with increased levels of anxiety.•Smartphone addiction, Internet addiction, resident in Hubei province and urban areas, family members or friends infected with coronavirus, graduation affected by the epidemic, levels of separation anxiety, physical injury fear, and tendency to adopt an emotion-focused coping style were associated with increased levels of respondents’ depressive symptoms.•It's urgent to concern and address emotional distress for children and adolescents during the epidemic. Targeted intervention measures could be formulated based on the significant influencing factors on anxiety and clinical depressive symptoms.