Adolescent depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of parents and peer support
Supervisor
Ann Skinner
Team
Communications Officer: Eva Klotz.
Project Manager: Tamara Ondruskova.
Lead Analyst: Leyla Ciftci.
Data Management: Sierra Jones.
Abstract
Parental warmth, parental mental health, and social support contribute to the way youth adjust to negative life events. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in adolescents’ lives around the world. We examine if COVID-19 disruptions predict adolescents’ internalising symptoms. Using a longitudinal dataset of parenting and adolescent development from 1417 adolescents and their mothers and fathers aged 14 to 20 in nine countries, and a new sample of parents and adolescents from 200 families in two additional countries, we investigate several family and peer factors that could contribute to the changes in internalising symptoms in response to the pandemic both over time and concurrently. Findings from the present study can inform professionals in the field, policy makers, and governmental responses to COVID-19.