“It’s hard to keep a distance when you’re with someone you really care about” — a qualitative study of adolescents’ pandemic-related health literacy and how Covid-19 affects their lives

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this study was to explore how adolescents accessed, understood, appraised, and applied information on pandemic preventive measures, how their lives were impacted by long-lasting regulations and how they described their quality of life. Methods A qualitative design with focus group interviews was used to elaborate on the quantitative survey results obtained and analyzed in a previous survey study from the first phase of the Covid-19 pandemic. Five focus groups with seventeen adolescents were conducted digitally during the second pandemic phase in November and December 2020. The interview data were analyzed with directed content analysis. Results The adolescents reported using traditional media and official websites as sources for Covid-19 information. They engaged in preventive behavior, and washing hands and keeping a distance from strangers had become a habit. However, not being physically close to friends felt strange and unpleasant. The measure most frequently discussed was limiting social contact, which was a constant struggle. No one disputed the authorities' guidelines and rules, but the social restrictions caused boredom and despair, particularly due to interrupted schooling and missed opportunities to engage in life events, and freely socialize with friends. Conclusion The adolescents gave an overall impression of being health literate, which corresponds well with the results from our previous survey study. Their descriptions of how they translated protective measures into their everyday lives demonstrate that they took responsibility and accepted personal costs for the collective good. However, life with social restrictions decreased their quality of life.

Mental health in the Austrian general population during COVID-19: Cross-sectional study on the association with sociodemographic factors

“…For those who are still in education or transitioning to working life, the pandemic has led to an interruption of education and employment biographies ( 51 ). As the pandemic progresses and economic problems increase, studies reveal growing fears among young people regarding learning outcomes and prospects ( 52 , 53 ). Unemployment rates for young people under 25 in Austria were almost twice as high as in the general population in February 2022 ( 54 ).…”

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

“…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 ].…”

“…Although mental health symptoms remained poor in comparison to the available pre-pandemic data, a small improvement was observed in June/July compared to February [ 19 ]. In line with this, Riiser et al [ 20 ] found that well-being depended on the magnitude of restrictions and children reported the challenges of distance learning and school as an important place for socializing as well as learning ([ 21 ], but see [ 22 ]).…”