Mental Health Impacts on Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Summary
The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unprecedented social, educational and familial disruptions on adolescents worldwide. School closures, lockdowns and social distancing measures led to diminished peer interaction, altered routines and heightened uncertainty, all of which have been associated with increased symptoms of anxiety, depression and emotional dysregulation. Vulnerability was not evenly distributed: older adolescents and girls tended to exhibit greater deterioration in mental health, while those with prior special educational needs or supportive home environments often showed more resilience. Risk factors included excessive media exposure, pre-existing mental health conditions and socioeconomic hardship, whereas protective factors comprised positive school climate, maintained peer connections during lockdown and strong family cohesion. These findings underscore the necessity of tailored interventions—ranging from evidence-based social-emotional learning programmes in schools to community-level parenting support and digital mental health resources—to mitigate both acute distress and potential long-term consequences for adolescent development.
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Mental Health Impacts on Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in mental health impacts on adolescents during the covid-19 pandemic across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Longitudinal cohort study: Research design following the same group of individuals over time to assess changes in outcomes.
Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ): A brief behavioural screening tool measuring emotional symptoms, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer relationship issues and prosocial behaviour.
Social-emotional learning (SEL): A structured educational approach that develops self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision-making.
Home connectedness: The perceived quality of emotional support and communication within the family environment.
References
- Mental health in the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of the CLoCk cohort study. PLOS Medicine (2024).
- The Impact of School Closures on Learning and Mental Health of Children: Lessons From the COVID-19 Pandemic. Perspectives on Psychological Science (2023).
- Young People’s Mental Health Changes, Risk, and Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic. JAMA Network Open (2023).
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