Mental health inequalities, challenges and support needs during COVID-19: a qualitative study of 14-to-25-year-olds in London

Abstract

BackgroundThe impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescent’s mental health and social lives has received growing attention, yet the challenges and support needs of adolescents living in existing deprivation is not well understood. The current qualitative study is part of a larger co-production study aimed to understand adolescents’ lived experience and support needs four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic.MethodSemi-structured interviews (N = 20) and focus groups (N = 6) were conducted with 14-to-25-year-olds (60% female) referred by local authority teams. Transcripts were transcribed verbatim, inductively thematically analysed by researchers, and results fed back to participants and the local council. ResultsEight themes were identified for adolescents’ Covid-19 ‘lived experiences’ with five including ‘support needs’: health challenges and support; relationships and support; routines and support; educational challenges and learning support; inequality and support; distrust; loss of opportunities; and grief.ConclusionsAdolescents spoke of ‘silver linings’, challenges, and need for support still being felt four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic. Many adolescents shared their lived experiences for the first time with someone else, and wished they would have the space and time to acknowledge this period of loss. Study findings scratch the surface of how young people’s experience of living with inequality and deprivation before the pandemic have been sustained and exacerbated during the pandemic. Co-produced support for adolescents should still be prioritised.Key practitioner message •The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on adolescents’ mental health and relationships has received growing attention, yet the type of support that they would like is underexplored.•Adolescent spoke about the forced societal expectation of ‘moving on’ with their lives and not having the time and safe space to just ‘talk about’ their lived experiences and support needs, four years on from the Covid-19 pandemic.•Challenging experiences were shared by the majority of adolescents yet positive ‘silver linings’ were also highlighted for a minority.•Through co-production research, practitioners can provide low-intensity support to adolescent-identified areas of support need: mental health, rebuilding relationships, relearning routines, learning/working techniques, and reducing the inequality-deprivation gap.•Given the concerns raised, adolescents from this community are living with sustained inequalities and deprivation that existed before the Covid-19 pandemic, and need targeted and immediate support more than ever before.Keywords: adolescence, inequality, qualitative, co-production, mental health, support.

Mental health inequalities, challenges and support needs during COVID-19: a qualitative study of 14-to-25-year-olds in London

“…This preregistered study published on the Open Science Framework in advance (Wong, 2022) 14 is part of the larger Empower-Islington partnership between University College London and Islington Council ( https://osf.io/82pgm/ ). 15 The Empower-Islington project aims to identify, cocreate and assess the efficacy of life-skill workshops with Islington youth to maximise their life chances post-COVID-19. After completing the qualitative component (the current study), five expert-led workshops were codeveloped with young people to address the support needs brought up.…”