Does the Progression of the COVID-19 Pandemic Have an Influence on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Young People? A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

Özlü-Erkilic, Zeliha; Kothgassner, Oswald D.; Wenzel, Thomas; Goreis, Andreas; Chen, Anthony; Çeri, Veysi; Mousawi, Aylin Fakhr; Akkaya-Kalayci, Türkan

doi:10.3390/ijerph182312795

Cited by 9 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Considering the results of Austrian data from other workgroups ( Pieh et al, 2020 , 2021 ; Dale et al, 2022 ), we fear a worsening of mental health (especially in girls) in the areas of well-being, depression, suicidal thoughts, and sleep, also after the end of our survey. In that same direction other groups report [ Özlü-Erkilic et al (2021) , here for Turkey and Austria in 15–25 year olds] that, as the pandemic progressed, the fear for themselves and/or a family member to become infected and/or ruminations about COVID-19 were steadily increasing from wave to wave. Therefore, rather than demonstrating increasing resilience and coping skills over time, young people seem to be experiencing deteriorating mental health as the pandemic continues.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Burdens and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Austrian children and adolescents

2022

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ObjectivesThe negative psychosocial effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are becoming increasingly apparent. Children and adolescents in particular, were affected and torn away from their daily life routines. The aim of our survey is to evaluate the psychosocial burden and impairments of children and adolescents in Austria during the COVID-19 pandemic by using cross-sectional analysis.SettingAn Austrian-wide online survey was conducted from 21 February to 19 April 2021 for children and adolescents. The questionnaire was distributed widely using the national press agency and public media.ParticipantsUsing an online questionnaire, 5,483 children and adolescents between 6 and 18 years of age were sampled.Outcome measureQuantitative responses to questions regarding the children’s feelings, worries, and needs concerning the COVID-19 pandemic were measured. Furthermore, the children were sampled for subjective risk perception as well as their sleep quality.ResultsMost children reported a high degree of fear due to the pandemic, especially female (48.1%) participants being under more emotional strain than their male (35.9%) counterparts. Associated with this, we found a strong overestimation of COVID-19-associated hospitalization likelihood (>100-fold) across all age groups. In addition, an alarming lack of positive perspective during the ongoing pandemic is evident across all age groups, including the youngest participants aged 6–10 years. Feelings of anger and annoyance (58.2%), loneliness (46%), and sadness (42.7%) are reported much more frequently than before the pandemic. On the other hand, only 15.6% reported feeling well (or even better; 2%) since the COVID-19 pandemic. Last but not least, our study shows an alarming 37% of children and adolescents who now report poorer sleep quality than before the pandemic.ConclusionThe results of this survey indicate the high burden and emotional strain for children and adolescents during the pandemic. Personal contact with friends and family is mentioned as the most protective factor for their mental health. The study results underscore the need for immediate action to limit the collateral damage that has already occurred on a psychosocial and developmental level among younger generations worldwide.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 56%

Burdens and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Austrian children and adolescents

2022

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“…Furthermore, as new data emerge, it seems possible that factors other than school and restrictions may also be having detrimental effects on youth mental health. Özlü-Erkilic et al [ 37 ] investigated 15–25-year-olds in Turkey and Austria at two time points (May–June 2020 and September–October 2020) and found a significant decrease in mental health between the two time points. As the pandemic progressed, the estimated severity of COVID-19 infection, the fear of the individual and/or a family member being infected and ruminations about COVID-19 were rated higher across all groups.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As such, it seems that although school closures and restrictions likely play a role in mental health [ 19 , 20 ], more general pandemic factors are also involved, such as rises in daily COVID cases [ 37 ], slow vaccination rates in Austria, exhaustion/depletion of mental resources [ 41 ], and concerns about the future [ 4 ]. These are in addition to the non-pandemic mental health challenges already faced by adolescents, particularly girls [ 42 , 43 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mental health burden of high school students, and suggestions for psychosocial support, 1.5 years into the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria

Dale

Jesser

Pieh

et al. 2022

Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry

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The COVID-19 pandemic and containment efforts seem to be particularly challenging for adolescents. This study assessed mental health in high school students 1.5 years after the pandemic began in Austria. A cross-sectional survey was carried out from September to November 2021. Well-being (WHO-5), depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms and sleep quality were assessed. A total of 1505 adolescents participated (78% girls). The cut-offs for clinically relevant symptoms were exceeded by 62% girls and 38.1% boys for depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 11), 49% girls and 29% boys for anxiety (GAD-7 score ≥ 11) and 28% girls and 17% boys for insomnia (ISI score ≥ 15). The prevalence of suicidal ideation (item 9 of the PHQ-9) within the last 2 weeks was 47% in girls and 32% in boys. These data collected in autumn 2021 (the start of the second semester of reopened schools; t2) were compared to data collected in February 2021 (one semester after remote schooling; t1). A matched pairs analysis according to age, gender, region, school type and migration background resulted in a total sample size of N = 2514 adolescents. Results showed small deteriorations in mental health (i.e., well-being, depression, insomnia, suicidal ideation) in girls at t2 compared to t1, and an increase in suicidal thoughts in boys (all p-values < 0.05). Qualitative data show that young people have a need for more psychological support, both professional and informal, as well as increased mental health literacy. Results suggest that mental health burden in adolescents remains high 1.5 years into the pandemic and highlight the need to implement timely psychological support.

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“…In Austria and Turkey, different lockdown restrictions were set to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, which in conjunction with the stress of pandemic-related factors led to a negative impact on the mental health of both young native adults and young migrants (Akkaya-Kalayci et al, 2020 ; Galea et al, 2020 ; Özlü-Erkilic et al, 2021 ). The authors observed increases in stress, anxiety, and depression (Gualano et al, 2020 ; Salari et al, 2020 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Did the mental health and well-being of young people increase after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period? A cross-sectional multicentre study in Austria and Turkey

et al. 2023

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In 2019, the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated prevention measures affected the mental health and psychological well-being of young people with and without a migratory background. The present study aimed to compare the mental health and psychological well-being of migrant and non-migrant young people before and after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period in two countries which had different policies to deal with the pandemic. The “Psychological General Well-being” of young people and their experiences during the pandemic were investigated using an anonymous online survey during two pandemic waves before the vaccination campaign and 6 months after its start. A majority of the 6154 participants (aged between 15 and 25 years in all study groups) reported a decrease of mental health from the time period before the vaccination (BV) to after the vaccination (AV) campaign (b = 0.27, p < .001). This association was higher in females (b = 0.04, p = 0.008) and in youth with financial problems (b = 0.13, p < .001). Furthermore, this decrease was more pronounced in people ≤17 years old (40% to 62%) than in those >17 years (59% to 67%). Contrary to expectation, vulnerable groups such as the economically disadvantaged, younger, and female participants did not experience a significant easing of the pandemic’s psychological burden AV. Vaccination campaigns should continue emphasizing the beneficial effects of COVID-19 vaccination on general well-being, but with an acknowledgement that the road to recovery is still a long one. Concurrently, free access to psychological treatment and financial support should be offered, especially for vulnerable groups.

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Does the Progression of the COVID-19 Pandemic Have an Influence on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Young People? A Cross-Sectional Multicenter Study

Cited by 9 publications

References 41 publications

Burdens and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Austrian children and adolescents

Burdens and psychosocial consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for Austrian children and adolescents

Mental health burden of high school students, and suggestions for psychosocial support, 1.5 years into the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria

Did the mental health and well-being of young people increase after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period? A cross-sectional multicentre study in Austria and Turkey

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