Discussion
This study set out to explore the experiences of early adolescents (aged
11-13 years) during the COVID-19 pandemic, and identify the self-care
and coping strategies adopted to support their mental health and
wellbeing. As the adolescents were plunged into lockdown, many viewed
the initial period positively as they had more free time and could
participate in other hobbies such as cooking, art, playing games, and
watching television. However, over time they began to miss time with
their peers, within and out of the school environment. As it became
evident that young people were to be taught without the previous input
and support from their teachers, some became more frustrated. Others
also expressed anger about the Government guidelines not being clear and
towards people who did not follow the social distancing rules. The
findings from this study revealed that key issues for adolescents were
focused around missing their peers and face-to-face support from their
teachers.
Regarding school closures, the experiences of adolescents working
independently at home varied, with some reporting finding it a struggle
to complete tasks without structure. However, for others it became a
swift morning routine, with some finishing their work as early as 11
o’clock. Notably, the adolescents who spoke about having a routine,
either directly or indirectly, seemed to manage better than those who
did not. This is consistent with contemporaneous studies into the impact
of the pandemic on adolescents’ wellbeing (e.g., Demkowicz et al.,
2020), and evidence regarding strategies for supporting positive
wellbeing and good mental health (e.g., Koome et al., 2012). Of
particular note is that almost all participants commented on the
difficulties of not having face-to-face contact with their teachers,
highlighting just how valuable this support is to them. Whilst many
acknowledged that their teachers were still contactable via email and
were doing their best to help, it appears that this was not an adequate
replacement for daily face-to-face contact. This should not be
understated, and emphasises how important it is to enable young people
to have regular access to their teachers throughout the pandemic and as
we emerge from it.
As adolescents transition from primary to secondary school, they would
usually be forming new peer relations and be exploring their new school
environment (Mackenzie et al., 2012). However, young people within the
study reported returning to school in September 2020 with many
restrictions in place, such as only mixing with their bubble (usually
their class) and having the same fixed place for lunch and break every
day. Not being able to interact with their peers as normal was difficult
for some adolescents, who reported a greater desire for autonomy and
independence. Indeed, our participants emphasised their need to meet
their friends away home and out of the classroom at school. This finding
is consistent with previous evidence that suggests increased autonomy
and interaction with peers is of great importance during this period of
development (Van Ryzin et al., 2009), further supporting that this is a
key issue for this age group during the pandemic. At the time of
writing, the current narrative in the UK appears to focus on young
people ‘catching up’ academically, including the possibility of
additional lessons during the weekends and summer holidays (e.g.,
Department for Education, 2021). However, the findings from this study
suggest that, moving forward, it will be equally (if not more) vital to
ensure that young people have opportunities to ‘catch up’ on time spent
with their peers, building relationships, and forming their identity
outside of the family home.
Results from this study are consistent with the challenges already
identified for adolescents during lockdown in other domains of their
life, with reported impacts on their mental and physical health,
including increased feelings of frustration, a sense of loss, disturbed
sleeping patterns, unhealthier eating habits, and lack of physical
activity. Going forward, it may be useful for the policies and
procedures implemented to aim to help support young people with caring
for their mental and physical health, perhaps through school-based
interventions or the provision of online resources. While some of these
resources already exist (e.g., YoungMinds, the Anna Freud Centre),
perhaps more needs to be done to ensure they reach the young people who
need them. Furthermore, participants in this study also voiced
frustrations with the UK Government. This is corroborated by previous
literature such as the TELL study, where older adolescents also
emphasised frustrations with the way the pandemic had been handled
(Demkowicz et al., 2020). Our study therefore builds upon this,
highlighting that these issues are consistent across ages. To reduce
this frustration, consulting with young people and ensuring their voices
are heard when developing policies for preventing the transmission of
COVID-19, and eventually, the road map for emerging out of lockdowns and
returning to ‘normality’, is invaluable. Research by Kim and colleagues
(2020) supports this. They interviewed teachers within the UK, and found
that they felt uncertainty and worry for the most vulnerable children,
such as those with mental health difficulties. They wanted more
joined-up thinking from the UK Government on how to support them
effectively, along with clarity from policymakers to enable future
planning.
Adolescents reported feeling sad, frustrated and angry as a result of
lockdown, and worry about their loved ones. They seemed informed about
the virus and the guidance around it, but the news did cause more worry
and fear for some. Initial research examining global media framing of
COVID-19 showed an emphasis on fear messages and scaremongering, as well
as a drive towards constantly releasing breaking news on the pandemic
(Ogbodo et al., 2020) and so it is perhaps unsurprising that the news
has increased anxiety amongst this age group. While the implications of
this are not yet known, there is potential that this prolonged exposure
to worry may manifest itself as increased rates anxiety or other
emotional difficulties in this population in the long-term (Loades et
al., 2020). It is important to highlight that adolescents did appear to
be very aware of what was going on around them, often expressing
frustration regarding their situation of being stuck at home away from
their friends and school, and others not following the rules.
However, alongside the difficulties expressed by some young people, our
findings offer insight into the adaptation and resilience occurring
among early adolescents at this time. The majority engaged in self-care
and valued looking after their wellbeing, and many were able to identify
the adaptive coping strategies they could implement to mitigate any
aspects of lockdown they found particularly challenging. Participants
adopted various strategies, including both active help-seeking
strategies (e.g., seeking support from their friends), and cognitive
coping strategies (e.g., finding the positives of lockdown.) This is
perhaps unsurprising as these sorts of coping strategies are the ones
most frequently used by adolescents (Cicognani, 2011; Gelhaar et al.,
2007).
Furthermore, all participants also highlighted the benefits of lockdown.
The main positive for the young people appeared to be the extra time
they were now spending with their parents and siblings. At times, this
seemed to be quite influential on how positive they were about their
time in lockdown. As parents who may have worried about the negative
effects on their children being at home and away from school and their
friends for so long, they may find comfort knowing that more time with
them created feelings of happiness and connectivity. This is vital given
that current research indicates that parents are currently unaware of
the impact of the pandemic on their children (Horesh & Brown, 2020).
Many young people welcomed the opportunity to have more free time with
less demands placed on them, and to explore new hobbies and develop new
skills. This highlights the extent of the pressure and stress that is
placed on our young people, with high-stakes examinations and complex
social pressures. Their engagement in personal development (e.g.,
learning to cook) and evaluation of their lives in lockdown reflects
positive youth development, positioning adolescents as agents of their
own development and growth (Larson, 2006). It has previously been argued
that education systems are frequently at odds with this need for
self-determination in adolescence, with little scope for young people to
exercise autonomy (Eccles et al., 1993). Thus, the COVID-19 pandemic may
represent an opportunity to reflect on the structure of our education
system and the demands placed on our adolescents, and the extent to
which we act as facilitators in their self-exploration. Such reflection
should include active discussion with adolescents about what can be
learned and acted on to carry forward the positives of lockdown.