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.