Stress, internet use, substance use and coping among adolescents, young-adults and middle-age adults amid the ‘new normal’ pandemic era

Abstract

Background: Globally, there is a constant state of flux amid the 'new normal' period of the COVID-19 pandemic. People try to accommodate to uncertainty, stress, and the threat of facing subsequent waves. It is crucial to explore and compare the psychological and behavioral processes of adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults amid such an era in a developing country like India. Aim: The present study compared the stress, internet use, substance use, and coping among adolescents, young adults, and middle-aged adults amid India's 'new normal' era. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used on an online platform. The sample included 1027 participants [ 456 adolescents; 347 young adults, and 224 middle age-adults] using Perceived Stress Scale, Internet Gaming Disorders-9, DSM-5 Self-Rated Level-1, and Brief-COPE scale. Results: Results showed moderate stress among all participants across all ages. Adolescent females perceived the highest stress (20.91, SD = 8.65); Adolescents reported higher internet use (Females: M = 3.59, S.D. = 2.44; Males: M = 3.40, S.D. = 2.30); Young and middle-aged adults Males reported significantly higher substance use (M = 1.60, S.D. = 2.96; M = 1.17, S.D. = 2.21). Maladaptive coping was used more by Young Adult Males (M = 10.83, S.D. = 4.66). Internet use was positively correlated with perceived stress (0.40) and maladaptive coping (0.40). Substance Use was also moderately positively correlated with maladaptive coping (0.38). Discussion: The study reveals significant variations in perceived stress, internet use, substance use, and coping based on gender and age variations. Adolescent females were the most affected and reported high perceived stress, whereas middle-aged adults were the least affected. Conclusion:The study provides further avenues to understand the stress and coping in different sections of society amid the 'new normal' era. It also gives an idea about resilience and identifies the sections of society which require focused interventions.

The adverse impact of excessive internet use during the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' coping skills: A case study in Hanoi, Vietnam 2021

“…The study results showed that the coping score decreased as the internet use duration increased. This result corresponds to Singh et al ( 40 ); with increased internet usage, there was an increase in maladapted coping. This can be explained by the fact that children spend much time on the internet, so they do not have time to think and actively face stressful issues in life.…”

Predictors of ‘problematic internet use’ among adolescents and adults amid the pandemic in India

“…This cross-sectional study was a part of an institutional project on mental health aspects during the COVID-19 pandemic. 21 The approval for the study was taken from Institutional Ethics Committee [ref code: 11th ECM COVID-19 1B/P7]. All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional ethics committee.…”

“…This cross-sectional study is an augmentation to an institutional project on various mental health facets in the COVID-19 pandemic. 21 Although 1043 individuals responded to the questionnaire, due to incomplete data, 16 responses were excluded. Most adolescent participants had at least 10 or 10-12 years of education.…”

The relationship between internet use preference and loneliness among college students during COVID-19: The chain mediating effect of online social support and self-esteem

“…New demands have been placed on people’s social interactions and spatial distance behaviors during COVID-19, leading to a surge in Internet use ( King et al, 2020 ; Mestre-Bach et al, 2020 ). Adolescents have reported higher Internet use amid the “new normal” pandemic era as compared to before ( Singh et al, 2021 ). Classroom teaching moved from offline to online; face-to-face meetings became online meetings; office locations became telecommuting from home; and even connecting with friends, obtaining information, and so on is done online ( Carroll and Conboy, 2020 ; Dwivedi et al, 2020 ; Guessoum et al, 2020 ; Fernandes et al, 2021 ).…”