Age and sex differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and coping mechanisms in Latin American youth

Ulloa, Rosa Elena; Apiquian, Rogelio; Peña, Francisco R. de la; Diaz, Ricardo Sobhie; Mayer, Pablo; Palacio, Juan David; Palacios‐Cruz, Lino; Hernández, Andrea; García, Pamela Paz; Rosetti, M.

doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.005

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 48 publications

(57 reference statements)

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“…This seems to indicate that health professionals tried to protect their psychological health, and therefore their levels of anxiety, in the face of such an unprecedented threat in our recent history. These results support other studies that revealed that positive mental health and social, emotional, and psychological well-being have a positive effect, confer resilience, reduce the negative consequences of unpleasant experiences, promote an adaptive response to uncertain situations, and reduce the risk of suicidal ideation [ 13 , 14 , 24 , 25 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 34 , 36 , 40 , 45 , 49 , 53 , 54 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

“…Anxiety is defined as a set of physical, mental, and motor manifestations, not attributable to real danger, but arising suddenly or as a constant and imprecise state [ 17 , 18 , 25 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Several studies have elaborated the possible coping strategies associated with anxiety [ 21 , 25 , 28 , 31 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anxiety Levels and Coping Strategies to Deal with COVID-19: A Cross-Cultural Study among the Spanish and Latin American Healthcare Populations

et al. 2023

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Given its impact, COVID-19 has engendered great challenges in terms of health, highlighting the key role of health personnel. This study aims to analyze the level of anxiety, as well as coping strategies, among the health personnel in Latin American countries and Spain. An exploratory, descriptive, quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted with 584 participants from the healthcare population. No significant differences were observed in anxiety levels due to COVID-19 between Latin American countries and Spain. In Spain, an active and passive coping style is used, while in Latin American countries, an avoidance coping style is employed; there is a direct correlation between anxiety levels and the avoidance coping style. There exists an inverse correlation between anxiety levels and the use of an active coping style; moreover, there are no significant differences in the anxiety level of health personnel depending on whether they have cared for patients with COVID-19. Low cognitive activity, use of the avoidance method and Spanish geography were the main predictive coping styles of anxiety. Effective measures are required for preserving the mental health of health professionals during pandemics.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Anxiety Levels and Coping Strategies to Deal with COVID-19: A Cross-Cultural Study among the Spanish and Latin American Healthcare Populations

et al. 2023

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“…These distinctions between adolescents and adults appear to be substantiated in the existing body of literature, which indicates a higher prevalence of depression and anxiety in young adults. This can be comprehended within the framework of the stress and coping model, which proposes that individuals assess the significance of stressors (primary appraisal) and evaluate their personal perceived resources (e.g., coping strategies) for managing emotions or addressing the given stressor [ 60 , 61 ]. Furthermore, the cumulative life experiences of older adults may bolster their resilience in dealing with analogous situations [ 62 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health: a cross-sectional study on eating disorder patients and their unaffected siblings

Meneguzzo,

Ajello,

Consolati

et al. 2024

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

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Background Adolescence has emerged as a particularly vulnerable phase during the COVID-19 pandemic, with eating disorders (EDs) representing a prominent psychopathological challenge linked to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that not only individuals with EDs but also their healthy siblings (HS) may experience unique psychological effects in this context. However, the existing literature on this topic remains limited. This study seeks to examine and compare the effects of the pandemic on adolescents and adults, with a specific focus on the impact of containment measures, disruptions in daily routines, and alterations in life trajectories, for both individuals with EDs and their HS. Methods We enrolled 273 individuals, including those diagnosed with EDs and their HS. Among the participants, 120 were under the age of 19. Multiple self-report questionnaires were administered to assess the psychological impact of 1 year of the COVID-19 pandemic. These assessments covered a range of psychological constructs, including posttraumatic symptoms, general psychopathology, and eating-related concerns. Results Notably, adolescent patients with EDs demonstrated the highest psychopathological scores within our sample. They were the sole subgroup to surpass clinical cutoffs, exhibiting more pronounced issues concerning eating-related concerns and general psychological well-being. Our findings also shed light on the unique experiences of HS during the pandemic. Conclusion Our findings highlight the specific psychological burden endured by adolescents with EDs throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing the vulnerability of this demographic. Moreover, the experiences of HS, often overlooked in the literature, warrant increased attention in future health programs and interventions.

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“…In studies of countries in the region, in addition to the factors mentioned (i.e., considering women and younger people), worsening mental health is associated with being attentive to news about the pandemic, having someone close diagnosed with COVID-19, the possibility of getting sick, loss of contact with peers [ 28 ], feeling a greater burden in taking care of children, taking medication on a regular basis, having a lower family income [ 29 ], not having a partner [ 6 ], and having poor sleep quality [ 30 ]. In the case of self-perceived health, there are studies that showed a relationship with having informal work, being a student or retired, reporting gender violence [ 14 ], having solely public healthcare system access, having COVID-19, and presence of any chronic illness [ 24 ], factors that increased the probability of having poor self-reported health status.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Inequalities in Mental Health and Self-Perceived Health in the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown in Latin America and Spain: Results of an Online Observational Study

Salas Quijada,

López-Contreras,

López-Jiménez

et al. 2023

IJERPH

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COVID-19 lockdowns greatly affected the mental health of populations and collectives. This study compares the mental health and self-perceived health in five countries of Latin America and Spain, during the first wave of COVID 19 lockdown, according to social axes of inequality. This was a cross-sectional study using an online, self-managed survey in Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Spain. Self-perceived health (SPH), anxiety (measured through GAD-7) and depression (measured through PHQ-9) were measured along with lockdown, COVID-19, and social variables. The prevalence of poor SPH, anxiety, and depression was calculated. The analyses were stratified by gender (men = M; women = W) and country. The data from 39,006 people were analyzed (W = 71.9%). There was a higher prevalence of poor SPH and bad mental health in women in all countries studied. Peru had the worst SPH results, while Chile and Ecuador had the worst mental health indicators. Spain had the lowest prevalence of poor SPH and mental health. The prevalence of anxiety and depression decreased as age increased. Unemployment, poor working conditions, inadequate housing, and the highest unpaid workload were associated with worse mental health and poor SPH, especially in women. In future policies, worldwide public measures should consider the great social inequalities in health present between and within countries in order to tackle health emergencies while reducing the health breach between populations.

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Age and sex differences in the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and coping mechanisms in Latin American youth

Cited by 14 publications

References 48 publications

Anxiety Levels and Coping Strategies to Deal with COVID-19: A Cross-Cultural Study among the Spanish and Latin American Healthcare Populations

Anxiety Levels and Coping Strategies to Deal with COVID-19: A Cross-Cultural Study among the Spanish and Latin American Healthcare Populations

Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health: a cross-sectional study on eating disorder patients and their unaffected siblings

Social Inequalities in Mental Health and Self-Perceived Health in the First Wave of COVID-19 Lockdown in Latin America and Spain: Results of an Online Observational Study

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