The impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on youth mental health

Abstract

COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected young adults' mental health, partially because of both forced social isolation measures and loneliness. An increase in anxious and depressive symptoms and psychotropic drug use was established during this period. It seems essential to evaluate the potential protective factors, such as resilience, in order to detect vulnerable individuals. This prospective longitudinal study was carried out in a two-phase survey: the first one during lockdown in spring 2020 (T1) and the second one in summer 2020 (T2), when restrictive measures were slackened. The main outcomes were the resilience scale for adults (RSA), the loneliness scale, mental health care needs (MHCN) before and after lockdown and social contacts. Participants were divided into three groups according to their MHCN. 5% of the participants experienced an increase in MHCN at T1, including the start of a psychotropic treatment. Differences in mean RSA scores (total score and Perception of self score) were statistically significant between groups at T1. The difference of loneliness scores was decreased between T1and T2, in particular in youth with MHCN. The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures represent a negative impact on youth mental health, particularly among vulnerable individuals. Resilience and social contact with peers are protective factors that need to be taken into account.Copyright © 2021 Association des Medecins anciens etudiats de l'Universite libre de Bruxelles (A.M.U.B.). All rights reserved.