Student Adaptation, Loneliness and Mental Health Profiles during the Second Wave of the Pandemic COVID-19

Abstract

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, adolescent mental health difficulties have increased. To understand adolescent adjustment, it is important to explore both mental health difficulties and indicators of resilience and well-being. The primary aim of this study was to explore the associations among resilience, subjective well-being (SWB), fear of COVID-19, and loneliness among adolescents during the second wave of the pandemic. Additionally, the study aimed to identify student profiles based on these variables. The sample consisted of 469 high school students (61% girls, 29% junior high school). Resilience was positively correlated with SWB and negatively with fear of COVID-19 and loneliness. Three student profiles were identified. The Resilient and Satisfied group (38%) consisted of students with the most positive adaptation, and the Average group (41%) involved students with middle scores in all variables, while the Vulnerable and Distressed group (21%) included those who struggled the most. The need for a tiered approach in providing school-based mental health support is discussed.

Social and Individual Factors Predicting Students’ Resilience: A Multigroup Structural Equation Model

“…Several reviews, e.g., [25][26][27], examining the longitudinal changes in adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic indicated that mental health problems increased during the pandemic. To explore the pandemic's effects on Greek school communities, Lampropoulou et al [28], aiming to identify students' mental health profiles, revealed that more than half of the high-school students who participated in their study struggled to some degree during the second wave of the pandemic. Similarly, a sample of 8079 adolescents (aged 12-18 years) in China reported an increased prevalence of anxiety and depression levels associated with the pandemic [29].…”