Adolescent Resilience during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of the Impact of the Pandemic on Developmental Milestones

Subjective Outcome Evaluation of a Positive Youth Development Program in Mainland China: Evidence in the Post-Pandemic Era

BACKGROUND

Optimizing the development of adolescents in the post-pandemic era is an urgent concern. As an active initiative, the "Tin Ka Ping P.A.T.H.S. Project", rooted in the "Positive Youth Development (PYD)" approach, represents a curriculum-based program aimed at fostering the psychosocial competence and well-being of adolescents. This study presents evaluation findings of the program's effectiveness during the 2022-2023 academic year.

METHODS

Using a validated "36-item Subjective Outcome Evaluation scale (SOES)", we evaluated perceptions of 2165 junior students (Mage = 13.43 years, SD = 0.70 years, 51.3% females) and 3287 senior students (Mage = 16.07 years, SD = 0.65 years, 52.8% females).

RESULTS

Replicating our previous findings before and during the pandemic, the 36-item SOES exhibited satisfactory validity and reliability in the current study. Students commonly provided favorable evaluations regarding program quality, implementer quality, and perceived benefits. Senior-grade students were more likely to perceive the program more positively.

CONCLUSIONS

These replications underscore the generalizability of the robustness of the 36-item SOES as a reliable evaluation measurement tool across different time periods and research backgrounds. The participants' positive responses indicated the positive impact of the "Tin Ka Ping P.A.T.H.S. Project" in enhancing the psychosocial competence and well-being of the students across background contexts and time periods.

Generational Shifts in Adolescent Mental Health: A Longitudinal Time-Lag Study

There is concern that adolescents today are experiencing a "mental health crisis" compared to previous generations. Research has lacked a longitudinal time-lag design to directly compare depressive symptoms and social anxiety of adolescents in two generations. The current study surveyed 1081 adolescents in the current generation (Mage = 14.60, SD = 0.31, 49% female) and 1211 adolescents in a previous generation (Mage = 14.40, SD = 0.51, 51% female) across the high school years (grades 9-12), 20 years apart. Mixed-effects analysis revealed that the Current-Sample reported higher and increasing mental health problems over time compared to the Past-Sample. Although most adolescents reported consistently low mental health problems, the Current-Sample had a higher proportion of adolescents who were consistently at risk across the high school years compared to the Past-Sample. These findings highlight while most adolescents in both generations do not report elevated mental health problems, there may be a small, yet growing, group of adolescents today at risk for experiencing a "mental health crisis".

Exploring the COVID-19 pandemic's influence on eating disorders: insights from an Italian residential center

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted global mental health, exacerbating the prevalence and severity of Eating Disorders (EDs). This study evaluates changes in the presentation and severity of EDs before and after the pandemic at the Regional Residential Center "Mariconda" in Salerno.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study analyzed records from 162 patients admitted to the center between December 2018 and December 2023. The onset of pandemic restrictions in mid-2020 divided the subjects into pre-COVID and COVID groups. Data collected included age, gender, education level, previous hospital admissions, admission diagnoses, body mass index (BMI), and comorbidity with other psychiatric conditions.

Results

Among the 162 subjects, 115 (71%) were admitted during the pandemic period. This group was significantly younger (mean age: 18.3 vs. 20.6 years, p = 0.009), had lower educational attainment (67% vs. 49% below secondary school diploma, p = 0.025), had a higher rate of prior hospitalizations (49% vs. 26%, p = 0.007), and demonstrated a higher prevalence of severe comorbidities with other mental illnesses (94% vs. 82%, p = 0.009) compared to the pre-COVID cohort. No significant differences were observed in gender distribution, initial diagnoses upon admission, or average length of hospital stay.

Conclusion

The findings indicate that the COVID-19 pandemic intensified the presentation and severity of EDs, particularly among younger individuals with lower educational backgrounds. This underscores the urgent need for targeted, integrated treatment approaches for EDs in the context of global crises, including the development of strategies to address the increased severity of comorbid conditions and higher frequency of hospital readmissions observed in this study. These results highlight the necessity of reinforcing multidisciplinary care models that integrate medical, psychological, and social support to address the heightened complexity of post-pandemic ED cases and ensure more effective, long-term treatment outcomes. Future research is essential to explore the long-term effects of the pandemic on EDs, as well as to refine treatment strategies that better support those affected.

Resilience and its association with hopelessness, depression, loneliness, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and suicidal ideations and behavior in a cohort in the Nairobi Metropolitan

Comprehending resilience in the face of mental health issues is important, especially for young people who deal with a variety of psychological pressures. This study aims to investigate the co-occurrence of several mental health conditions and the role of resilience as a potential intervention in youth 14-25 years in the Nairobi metropolitan area. We recruited 1,972 youths. The following self-administered instruments were used: resilience (ARM-R), hopelessness (BHS), depression (BDI, PHQ-9), PTSD (HTQ), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale) and suicidality (C-SSRS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted on the data. The key findings are that depression and hopelessness showed a strong negative association with resilience. PTSD and recent suicidal ideation and behavior showed less negative association with resilience. Building resilience is an important intervention for the conditions reported in our study among the youth. This study contributes novel insights into the intersection of multiple psychological stressors and resilience, paving the way for more targeted, integrative mental health interventions.

Effects of the corona measures on the life of children and adolescents: Results of the German HBSC study 2022

Background

The containment measures of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed many people's daily lives. The study examines how children and adolescents assess the impact of the coronavirus measures on various areas of life.

Methods

Overall, N = 6,475 students (11 - 15 years) in Germany took part in the representative 'Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC)' study in 2022. Logistic regressions were performed to investigate the relationships between the perceived impact of the coronavirus measures on various areas of their lives by age, gender and family wealth.

Results

Two years after the onset of the pandemic, children and adolescents reported both, positive and negative effects of the coronavirus measures. About a half of those surveyed perceived positive effects regarding social relationships. In contrast, approximately one in three respondents reported a deterioration in mental health and school performance. In particular, 11-year-olds, boys and wealthy students reported more often positive effects.

Conclusions

The positive effects of the pandemic on the lives of children and adolescents in individual areas and the resilience (resistance) that is emerging here, as well as the results on more negative assessments of adolescents, girls and respondents with lower family wealth, can be used as a starting point for a needs-oriented and target group-specific health promotion in times of crisis. Future research should focus on the pandemic's long-term effects on young people's development.

COVID-19 Stress and Coping Among Black Youth: The Role of Socio-Emotional Community Mentor Support

This study examined associations between COVID-19 stress and the utilization of engaged and disengaged coping responses among diverse Black youth during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the role of mentor social-emotional support was tested as a moderator of these associations. Participants were 1232 youth ages 11 to 18 year old from the United States who identified as Black/African American. Analyses indicated that COVID-19 stress was positively associated with both engaged and disengaged coping. Results also showed a significant interaction between COVID-19 stress and mentor social-emotional support in the prediction of engaged coping, such that COVID-19 stress positively predicted engaged coping more pronouncedly at lower levels of mentor support than at higher levels of mentor support. Similarly, there was also a significant interaction between COVID-19 stress and mentor social-emotional support in predicting disengaged coping, such that at low levels of mentor support, COVID-19 stress was marginally associated with disengaged coping. At high levels of mentor support, COVID-19 stress was no longer significantly associated with disengaged coping. The current study highlights that the social-emotional support of mentors can attend to the psychosocial strengths of Black youth even in the face of concurrent, ongoing stressors.

Research Review: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and young people with pre-existing mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions - a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies

BACKGROUND

Systematic reviews have suggested mixed effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of children and young people. However, most included studies focused on the general population and were cross-sectional. The long-term impact on those with pre-existing mental health and/or neurodevelopmental conditions remains unclear. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine the longitudinal impact of the pandemic on the mental health of this clinical population and potential explanatory factors.

METHODS

Ovid Medline, Embase, APA PsycInfo and Global Health databases were searched between 1 January 2020 and 3 August 2023 (PROSPERO CRD42022383546). We included longitudinal studies that compared mental health symptoms between pre- and during pandemic and/or during pandemic timepoints in children and young people (≤18 years old) with pre-existing mental and/or neurodevelopmental conditions. Outcomes included internalising, externalising and other symptoms. Risk of bias was rated using an adapted tool. Included studies were narratively synthesised and multi-level meta-analyses were conducted where the number of studies was sufficient.

RESULTS

We identified 21 studies (N = 2,617) from 6,083 records. Studies differed across countries, diagnoses, measures, informants and timepoints. All had overall moderate-to-high risk of bias. Narrative synthesis found mixed evidence of symptom change, with individual studies showing increase/reduction/no change. Factors such as diagnosis, baseline symptom severity, age and sex/gender may explain variation in outcomes. Multi-level meta-analyses were feasible for a limited number of outcomes and found no significant changes in internalising and externalising symptoms pre- versus during pandemic or internalising symptoms between 2020 pandemic phases, and high heterogeneity was noted.

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of the pandemic on the mental health of children and young people with pre-existing conditions varied according to individual and contextual vulnerabilities, which were not fully captured in pooled analyses. Further research needs to investigate longer-term impacts and better stratify this vulnerable population.

Depression in the COVID-19 endemic era: Analysis of online self-disclosures by young South Koreans

Although COVID-19 has been declared endemic in South Korea, there are economic and psychosocial after-effects. One of these is the prevalence of depression. Depressed adolescents and young adults struggle with insecurity, loneliness, and lack of confidence due to the life limitations imposed during the pandemic. Young South Koreans experienced deterioration in mental health because of the recurrence of mass infections. To address professionals' concerns about the lingering effects of COVID-19 on youth mental health, we text-mined young South Koreans' online posts about depression during the pandemic and the endemic phases-from February 2020 to May 2023. We used a total of 1,740 selected posts (raw data publicly available on https://github.com/kimalexis1129/PLOS_endemic_depression.git) to explore the situational triggers, additional factors, and by-products of depression that have persisted during the endemic era. We used Latent Dirichlet allocation and Dirichlet-multinomial regression topic modeling methods in conjunction with sentiment analysis and mean comparison. The results showed that the pandemic and endemic topic models shared similarities, but emerging topics showed extended adversities such as adolescents' vulnerability to eating disorders and young adults' tendency to self-isolate. Comparisons between the levels of positive and negative affect during the pandemic and endemic eras revealed no significant changes in mood. We discussed the results in comparison with SARS and MERS precedents and from general and cultural perspectives.

Trends in Adolescent Health: Successes and Challenges From 2010 to the Present

PURPOSE

This review considers trends in some of the major adolescent health outcomes and contextual influences since 2010, and explores the relevance of recent cultural, societal, and public health developments on adolescent well-being.

METHODS

Based on a review of major reports published since 2010, we identified key topics of impact on adolescent health and development across several domains (education, economic opportunity, sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, and mental health) and ecological levels (from individual- to macro-level influences). Within these areas, we synthesized findings to describe recent trends, noting variation across countries/regions, gender/sex, and other social stratifications when possible.

RESULTS

Since 2010, progress in several areas of sexual and reproductive health has been most striking, with notable global declines in female genital mutilation/cutting, child marriage, HIV transmission, and adolescent childbearing. Participation and retention in school has increased, although the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted positive progress for many adolescents and contributed to social isolation and economic insecurity. The mental health and nutrition domains have clear challenges. Increased internalizing mental health issues have been observed cross-culturally, especially among girls. The prevalence of anemia has remained stagnant, while overweight and obesity rates are rising. Within domains, we highlight uneven progress across and within countries.

DISCUSSION

Based on recent successes and emerging challenges in adolescent well-being, we find that more and better research is needed that consistently takes an intersectional perspective, and critically, action must be taken to consolidate the gains in sexual and reproductive health and extend them to other areas of adolescent health.

The effects of musical practice on the well-being, mental health and social support of student, amateur, and professional musicians in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic

This pan-Canadian study investigates the effects of musical practice on the well-being, mental health, and social support of Canadian musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a survey questionnaire, data was collected from 1,618 participants aged 14 and above during the first wave of the pandemic up to the first half of 2022. The survey included standardized questionnaires to self-assess well-being (WHO-5), mental health (MHC-SF), and social support (SPS-10 measures social support). Results show that increased musical practice frequency correlates with improved well-being and mental health, particularly among amateurs. Professional musicians and those at a post-secondary level exhibit lower well-being scores, likely due to pandemic-related challenges. Factors such as age, gender, sports engagement, and participation in social clubs or volunteer work significantly influenced outcomes. While sports engagement was associated with higher scores on well-being, mental health and social support, no significant differences were found among participants engaged in artistic hobbies. As for involvement in social clubs or volunteer work, benefits were reported on two of the three outcomes. Overall, the findings suggest that regular amateur musical practice, especially in group settings, alongside engagement in sports and social activities, may have promoted well-being, mental health, and social support among musicians during the challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Interplay of Age, Gender, and Mental Health Outcomes in Two Consecutive Cross-Sectional Surveys in Northern Italy

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the development of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and mental health among adolescents in Northern Italy by comparing cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2021 and 2022, with a particular focus on the influence of age and gender. The sample included adolescents aged 11-19 years from public schools in South Tyrol. Validated psychometric instruments were used to assess HRQoL, anxiety and depression symptoms, and psychosomatic complaints. Sociodemographic variables, COVID-19 burden, and pandemic-related factors were measured. Statistical analyses included chi-square tests, correlation coefficients, and logistic regression analyses. The results indicated that while the self-reported burden of adolescents decreased significantly in 2022 (n = 1885) compared to 2021 (n = 1760), there were no significant differences in symptoms of anxiety, depressive symptoms, low HRQoL, and increased psychosomatic complaints between the two surveys for both early and late adolescents. Females consistently had higher percentages for all outcome variables, and symptoms of anxiety increased with age in females, but not in males. Both genders experienced an increase in depressive symptoms and low HRQoL with age. The co-occurrence of mental health outcomes was observed, suggesting overlapping patterns among anxiety, depression, low HRQoL, and psychosomatic complaints. These findings underscore the intricate relationship between age, gender, and mental health outcomes among adolescents during the pandemic. It is important to recognize that late adolescents may exhibit distinct vulnerabilities and may require tailored support approaches to address their specific mental health challenges, differing from those needed for early adolescents.

Latent Regression Analysis Considering Student, Teacher, and Parent Variables and Their Relationship with Academic Performance in Primary School Students in Chile

Academic performance in primary students is fundamental to future school success; however, simultaneous analysis of different key individual, family, and teaching factors must be considered to improve understanding and benefit the development of students' potential. This article presents a latent regression analysis model that examines the relationship between the latent variables (self-efficacy, interest in reading, bullying, parental expectations, and discrimination/exclusion, and teacher violence/aggression) and the academic performance of first-cycle primary students. The model investigates the impact of the latent variables on the standardized endogenous variables of SIMCE Mathematics and Language test scores using a quantitative, non-experimental, correlational, and cross-sectional design. The study involved 70,778 students (53.4% female), with an average age of 9.5 years (SD = 0.6), from Chilean public (33.6%) and subsidized (66.4%) schools. The results indicate that the model accounted for 49.8% and 47.7% of the mean variability in SIMCE Mathematics and Language test scores, respectively. The goodness-of-fit indices demonstrated satisfactory fits for both models. In both tests, student self-efficacy emerged as the most significant factor explaining test score variability, followed by parental expectations. Bullying was identified as a relevant factor in reducing mean performance on both tests. The findings suggest that education decision makers should address these issues to improve student outcomes.

Socioeconomic inequality in the worsening of psychosocial wellbeing via disrupted social conditions during COVID-19 among adolescents in Hong Kong: self-resilience matters

BACKGROUND

Adolescents, especially the socioeconomically disadvantaged, are facing devastating psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic during their critical developmental period. This study aims to (i) examine the socioeconomic patterning of the worsening of psychosocial wellbeing, (ii) delineate the underlying mediating factors (i.e., overall worry about COVID-19, family's financial difficulty, learning problems, and loneliness), and (iii) explore the moderating effect of resilience in the inter-relationship among adolescents under COVID-19.

METHODS

Based on maximum variation sampling of 12 secondary schools of diverse socioeconomic background in Hong Kong, 1018 students aged 14-16 years were recruited and completed the online survey between September and October 2021. Multi-group structural equation modeling (SEM) by resilience levels was employed to delineate the pathways between socioeconomic position and the worsening of psychosocial wellbeing.

RESULTS

SEM analysis showed a significant total effect of socioeconomic ladder with the worsening of psychosocial wellbeing during the pandemic in the overall sample (β = -0.149 [95% CI = -0.217 - -0.081], p < 0.001), which operated indirectly through learning problems and loneliness (both p < 0.001 for their indirect effects). Consistent pattern with stronger effect size was observed in the lower resilience group; nonetheless, the associations were substantially mitigated in the higher resilience group.

CONCLUSION

In addition to facilitating self-directed learning and easing loneliness during the pandemic, evidence-based strategies to build up resilience among adolescents are critical to buffer against the adverse socioeconomic and psychosocial impacts of the pandemic or other potential catastrophic events in the future.

Developmental changes in and the relationship between psychological resilience and mental health problems in adolescents relocated for poverty alleviation in the context of COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control

Background

Adolescents relocated for poverty alleviation have considerable mental health problems (MHPs) in the context of changing living environments and COVID-19 epidemic prevention and control, and psychological resilience (PR) is closely related to MHPs. Existing studies have mainly used cross-sectional research to investigate the relationship between PR and MHPs using PR as a predictor variable.

Objective

This study investigated developmental changes in the PR and MHPs of relocated adolescents as well as the relationship between these factors.

Methods

A longitudinal study was conducted to assess the PR and MHPs of 1,284 relocated adolescents. Data were collected at approximately 12-month intervals at three time points: spring of 2020 (T1), spring of 2021 (T2), and spring of 2022 (T3). The 1284 adolescents consisted of 620 males and 664 females; 787 were in the fourth grade of elementary school, 455 were in the first grade of middle school, and 42 were in the first grade of high school. The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and Mplus 8.1 and methods such as latent growth models and cross-lagged regression analysis.

Results

(1) The PR level of relocated adolescents showed an overall increasing trend (slope = 0.16, p < 0.01), while the MHPs showed an overall decreasing trend (slope = -0.03, p < 0.01). (2) The initial PR level differed significantly from the initial MHPs level (β = -0.755, p = 0.00), and the rate of change in PR differed significantly from the rate of change in MHPs (β = -0.566, p = 0). The initial MHPs level differed significantly from that of PR (β = -0.732, p = 0.00), and the rate of change in MHPs differed significantly from the rate of change in PR (β = -0.514, p = 0.00). (3) Among the three sets of measurements of PR and MHPs, there were significant pairwise differences.

Conclusion

(1) The PR level of relocated adolescents increased over time, and the MHPs of relocated adolescents decreased over time. (2) The initial PR level of relocated adolescents had a negative predictive effect on the initial MHPs level, and the rate of change in PR had a negative predictive effect on the rate of change in MHPs. (3) The PR and MHPs of relocated adolescents exhibited a bidirectional, mutually influencing relationship.

Adolescents with Neuropsychiatric Disorders during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Focus on Emotional Well-Being and Parental Stress

(1) Introduction: The aim of our research was to explore emotional/behavioral changes in adolescents with neuropsychiatric conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic, and parental stress levels through a standardized assessment, comparing the data collected before and during the first months of lockdown. Moreover, an additional goal was to detect a possible relationship between emotional/behavioural symptoms of adolescents and the stress levels of their parents. (2) Methods: We enrolled 178 Italian adolescents aged between 12-18 that were referred to the Child Neuropsychiatry Unit of the University Hospital of Salerno with different neuropsychiatric diagnoses. Two standardized questionnaires were provided to all parents for the assessment of parental stress (PSI-Parenting Stress Index-Short Form) and the emotional/behavioral problems of their children (Child Behaviour Check List). The data collected from questionnaires administered during the six months preceding the pandemic, as is our usual clinical practice, were compared to those recorded during the pandemic. (3) Results: The statistical comparison of PSI and CBCL scores before/during the pandemic showed a statistically significant increase in all subscales in the total sample. The correlation analysis highlighted a significant positive relationship between Parental Stress and Internalizing/Externalizing symptoms of adolescent patients. Age and gender did not significantly affect CBCL and PSI scores, while the type of diagnosis could affect behavioral symptoms and parental stress. (4) Conclusions: our study suggests that the lockdown and the containment measures adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic could have aggravated the emotional/behavioral symptoms of adolescents with neuropsychiatric disorders and the stress of their parents. Further studies should be conducted in order to monitor the evolution of these aspects over time.

More Relaxed but Less Helpful: The Relationship between Stress, Age, and Self-Reported Prosocial Behavior during the COVID-19 Pandemic

(1) Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has collectively increased stress levels, with individuals making difficult choices between protecting themselves and helping others. Previous research has shown that people engage in more prosocial, or helping, behavior as they age and in moments of acute stress, but it is unclear how c stress has influenced perceived changes in prosocial behavior in the later stages of the pandemic and whether this varies across the lifespan. (2) Methods: The current study explored how perceived stress, age, and gender impact participants’ reports of perceived changes in their prosocial behavior due to the pandemic using survey questions administered through an online subject pool (n = 201). (3) Results: Hierarchical linear regression results revealed results indicated a significant main effect of perceived stress (β = −0.166, p = 0.021) and age (β = −0.217, p = 0.003) but not gender (β = −0.062, p = 0.370) on perceptions of how one’s prosocial behavior was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. (4) Conclusions: Study findings showed that older adults and individuals with higher levels of perceived stress reported a decrease in their prosocial behavior, which supported our hypotheses. These findings provide unique insight into the influence of a long-term health crisis on different groups of people’s participation in prosocial behavior, with implications for mental health and community engagement during a pandemic.