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Minerva Pediatrics 2021 Apr 23

DOI: 10.23736/S2724-5276.21.06178-4

Copyright © 2021 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

lingua: Inglese

Changes in adolescent mental health during the covid pandemic

Çilem BILGINER ¹ ✉, Selman YILDIRIM ¹, Berire ÇEKIN YILMAZ ¹, Ercüment BEYHUN ², Serkan KARADENIZ ³

¹ Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey; ² Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey; ³ Department of Child Development, Faculty of Health Science, Avrasya University, Trabzon, Turkey

BACKGROUND: Previous pandemics around the world have shown that negative emotions are intensified in individuals when restrictions are imposed on human daily life activities. This study aims to draw attention to the pandemic-specific factors that might be associated with the severity of depression, anxiety, and COVID-19 phobia of high school students.
METHODS: A total of 1,431 high school students aged 14 to 18 years were invited to participate in thisstudy using online survey forms. They were asked to fill out a questionnaire about themselves and the changes in their lives during the pandemic. They completed the COVID-19 Phobia Scale (C19P-S) and the Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS).
RESULTS: Findings showed that being a girl is an increased risk factor for anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 phobia. In addition, following the official daily COVID-19 data and having a healthcare professional in the building of residence are significant risk factors for COVID-19 phobia. Having a psychiatric disorder, having a chronic disease, losing anyone due to COVID-19 infection, undergoing a COVID-19 diagnostic test, and meeting friends in person are increased risk factors for anxiety or depression during the pandemic.
CONCLUSIONS: Changes in adolescents' lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic are negatively affecting their mental health. Studies are needed to maintain the mental well-being of adolescents under the conditions of this pandemic.

KEY WORDS: COVID-19; Pandemic; Adolescent; Depression; Anxiety