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

Abstract

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.

Associations between Physical Activity, Mental Health, and Suicidal Behavior in Korean Adolescents: Based on Data from 18th Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-Based Survey (2022)

“…In the case of female adolescents, there is a possibility that they will experience mental health problems such as depression quickly while entering physical changes such as puberty faster than men. Male adolescents engage in a variety of external activities to cope with stress, but female adolescents may experience physical damage rather than emotional problems [ 46 ]. Therefore, there is a need for a solution to lower the risk of mental health problems and suicidal behavior and to express emotional problems in female adolescents.…”

“…However, the experience of suicidal behavioral factors was higher among middle school students than among high school students. The middle school period can be attributed to the fact that it is difficult to adapt to various hormonal and physical changes and rapidly changing social and environmental factors since the beginning of adolescence biologically [ 46 , 50 ].…”