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. 2022 Nov 7;30(spe):e3744.
doi: 10.1590/1518-8345.6273.3744. eCollection 2022.

Emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents in the context of COVID-19: a mixed method study

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Carolina Ferreira Peterle  1 , Caroline Lima Fonseca  1 , Bruna Hinnah Borges Martins de Freitas  1 , Maria Aparecida Munhos Gaíva  1 , Paula Manuela Jorge Diogo  2 , Juliano Bortolini  3
Affiliations

Emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents in the context of COVID-19: a mixed method study

[Article in English, Portuguese, Spanish]
Carolina Ferreira Peterle et al. Rev Lat Am Enfermagem. .

Abstract

Objective: to estimate the prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems in adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic e to explore adolescents' perception of emotional and behavioral problems identified.

Method: mixed-method explanatory sequential design. Participants were 479 adolescents aged 15 to 18 from a Brazilian Central-West region capital.

Results: with a total of 479 participants, mean age was 16.03 years (SD=1.01). The prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems was 61.17%, and there was a difference between the sexes (ORb=2.93; p<0.01). The highest prevalence was related to peer relationship problems (54.49%) and emotional symptoms (52.40%). Adolescents noticed an increase in loneliness, anxiety, sadness, distancing from friends and difficulties in socializing during the pandemic.

Conclusion: most of the investigated adolescents were classified as having emotional and behavioral problems, and girls were more likely to have them than boys. The adolescents' statements reinforce the quantitative findings. In this way, there is a need to implement actions to promote and restore the adolescents' mental health, in order to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic socio-emotional impact on this population.

Keypoints: (1) The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on emotions and behaviors. (2) 61.17% of adolescents were classified as having emotional and behavioral problems (EBPs). (3) Girls presented the highest level of prevalence of EBP in the pandemic context. (4) Peer relationship problems and emotional symptoms were the most prevalent.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: the authors have declared that there is no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Representative diagram of the study design. Cuiabá, MT, Brazil, 2022
*QUAN = Quantitative with more weight; †qual = Qualitative with less weight
Figure 2
Figure 2. Synthesis of the study methodological characteristics. Cuiabá, MT, Brazil, 2022
*QUAN = Quantitative with more weight; †which = Qualitative with less weight; ‡SDQ = Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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