University of Lancaster — MedicalXPress — 17 June 2021
Young people with poor mental health took a turn for the better during the pandemic but those with good mental health saw a considerable decline, according to new research from the University of Lancaster working with the University of British Columbia. The study — the first nationally representative evidence of the diverse impact of COVID-19 on adolescent mental health in the UK — analysed data from 886 adolescents aged 10 to 16 surveyed both before and during the pandemic.
Adolescents with better-than-average mental health before the pandemic experienced an increase in emotional and conduct problems, hyperactivity, and difficulties interacting with peers, but a decrease in prosocial tendencies such as being caring, sharing and helping others. In contrast, adolescents with lower-than-average mental health pre-pandemic experienced the opposite changes — possibly, the researchers say, because more time at home under parental supervision prevented behaviour such as fighting or bullying.
Young people from single-parent, one-child and less well-off families experienced a much greater mental health decline. Those in one-parent households saw a sharper decline in social wellbeing, greater problems interacting with peers, and increased loneliness. The presence of other children in the household helped protect teenagers from the pandemic’s adverse impact. Young people with high-earning parents experienced a bigger reduction in conduct problems and a smaller increase in hyperactivity compared with those in low-income families. Published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, the study calls for tailored mental health support for adolescents and targeted measures to mitigate inequalities in the pandemic’s mental health impact, going beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.