Psychological impact of COVID-19 pandemic in Spanish adolescents: risk and protective factors of emotional symptoms

Abstract

The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children and adolescents is one of the most prevalent concerns all over the world. Adolescence is a developmental stage of high vulnerability due to the challenges this period entails. Additionally, the health emergency crisis has put adolescents even more at risk of developing mental health problems. The present study aims to examine the influence of socio-demographic and COVID-19 related variables on symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress in adolescents during pandemic-related confinement in Spain. Participants were 523 adolescents (63.1% female), aged between 13 and 17 years (M=14.89 years; SD=1.13 years), who completed an ad hoc questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and The Oviedo Infrequency Scale (INFO-OV). A descriptive and cross-sectional study design was used, and descriptive statistics and multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted. Results indicate that socio-demographic and COVID-19 related variables play a significant role in the development of emotional symptomatology in adolescents during the current pandemic. Girls more than boys, adolescents who did volunteer work and those who stayed home more often were more likely to experience depression, anxiety or stress symptoms. Experiencing a stressing life event and searching for COVID-19 related information more often was related to psychological distress. On the other hand, adolescents who were in a romantic relationship and had been infected with the coronavirus, were more likely to be mentally healthy. Further research is necessary in order to detect risk and protective variables that impact adolescent’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic

Children Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence During Confinement: Characteristics by Age and Sex

“…These results differ to those found in research of general population which highlight that girls generally present higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress ( Duan et al, 2020 ; Tamarit et al, 2020 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ; Carrillo-López et al, 2021 ; Gilsbach et al, 2021 ; Panchal et al, 2021 ). Therefore, it is necessary to delve further into what factors could influence these results in future research.…”

“…Some studies have reported sex differences; highlighting that girls generally have higher levels of anxiety, depression, and stress than boys ( Duan et al, 2020 ; Tamarit et al, 2020 ; Zhou et al, 2020 ; Carrillo-López et al, 2021 ; Gilsbach et al, 2021 ), aspects confirmed by the systematic review by Panchal et al (2021) .…”

Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Confinement among Adolescents in Catalonia: The Role of Demographic and Other COVID-Related Variables

“…Emerging evidence indicates that adolescent girls are disproportionately affected by the pandemic compared to adolescent boys. This is in part due to higher levels of pre-existing psychopathology in women as well as gender differences in fear processing and presenting higher levels of fear, tension, and confusion compared to boys during the pandemic [ 7 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

El impacto de la pandemia del Covid-19 en las necesidades de los niños, niñas y adolescentes y sus familias en situación de riesgo en la provincia de Barcelona.

“…En el presente estudio, los y las profesionales han observado dificultades asociadas al impacto de las condiciones del entorno físico, en el que se ha vivido durante el confinamiento, en el bienestar de los niños, niñas y adolescentes que participan en sus servicios, aunque se desconoce su alcance. Existen más evidencias que indican que el tiempo en situación de confinamiento (Erades y Morales, 2020;Gómez-Becerra et al, 2020), y las condiciones del entorno físico en que se ha desarrollado el confinamiento (Tamarit et al, 2020) han resultado ser un factor determinante del bienestar. Los niños, niñas y adolescentes que viven en hogares con menor espacio o con un mayor número de personas son más propensos a sufrir estrés y ansiedad.…”