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Review
. 2023 Aug:52:101646.
doi: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2023.101646. Epub 2023 Jun 21.

Understanding adolescent stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

Geneva M Jost  1 , Sally Hang  1 , Ulfat Shaikh  2 , Camelia E Hostinar  3
Affiliations
Review

Understanding adolescent stress during the COVID-19 pandemic

Geneva M Jost et al. Curr Opin Psychol. 2023 Aug.

Abstract

Longitudinal studies across the globe documented significant increases in psychological stress and mental health problems among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Health concerns, school disruptions, and social disconnection were major sources of stress. High levels of perceived stress predicted worse mental health outcomes, with girls, older adolescents, and socio-economically marginalized youth experiencing more pronounced mental health deteriorations. However, social support from family and peers was a protective factor against increased stress and accompanying mental health problems. We urge policymakers and other key decision-makers to improve the availability and financing of mental health services and support programs for adolescents to address the wave of mental health challenges following the pandemic.

Keywords: Adolescence; COVID pandemic; Mental health; Stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Primary sources of stress, consequences for mental health, mediators and key moderators of stress-mental health links among adolescents during COVID-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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