Risk in Early Adolescence
Early adolescence (age 11-14 years) is not only a key period of
development, but is also associated with the onset of symptoms of mental
health conditions. Fifty percent of lifetime cases of mental health
conditions have their first onset by age 14 years (Kim-Cohen et al.,
2003), and rates of emotion disorders (i.e., depression and anxiety) in
adolescents have been increasing in recent years (3.9% in 2004 to 5.8%
in 2017; Vizard et al., 2018). Thus, when combining rates of previous
emotional difficulties with the potential detrimental effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic, the impact on adolescents’ mental health and
wellbeing is a cause for concern. Early evidence is already indicating
that adolescents’ mental health has suffered, with a study conducted in
China highlighting the higher rates of anxiety and depression in
adolescents aged 12-18 following the pandemic (Zhou et al., 2020). There
is also evidence to suggest that, relative to adults, adolescents are at
an increased likelihood of experiencing mental health problems such as
depression and anxiety, and heightened stress, including post-traumatic
stress, as a result of COVID-19 (Liang et al., 2020; Pascual-sanchez et
al., 2020; Raccanello et al., 2020).
One potential key area of challenge for adolescents is the repeated
school closures (March-July 2020 and January-March 2021 to date), which
may have resulted in reduced face-to-face contact with peers. Early
adolescence is a time when young people typically grow in independence
and begin to prioritise relationships with peers over family members
(The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2020). Peer relationships are
also associated with positive wellbeing and adjustment during
adolescence (Žukauskiene, 2014); they serve as an important source of
both social support and influence, helping to shape young people’s
behaviour, identity, and attitudes (Telzer et al., 2018). As such,
adolescents’ normative developmental experiences are likely to have been
disrupted during this time. As adolescents are also more likely to seek
mental health support from friends than family or formal services (Radez
et al., 2020), it is unclear who they will feel able to turn to should
they experience any difficulties, potentially compounding the problem.
While the long-term effects of lockdown are unknown, evidence from
previous pandemics indicates that loneliness during quarantines is
associated with long-term depression and anxiety in adolescents (Sprang
& Silman, 2013).
In addition, school closures may have meant that adolescents have missed
out on a host of valuable opportunities and resources that extend far
beyond their social development. For instance, adolescents were required
to continue their schooling in the home environment, with reduced
support and instructional time from teachers. UNESCO (2020) have
highlighted the interruption to learning as a key adverse consequence of
the pandemic, with lockdown exacerbating existing disparities and health
inequalities within the education system.