Well-Being of Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract: During the COVID-19 pandemic, implemented social distancing measures led to behavioral changes and decreased well-being in adolescents. The aim of this study was to examine the relation between daily behaviors (physical and sport activity, social contacts, screen time) and adolescent well-being. For this, we conducted a 28-day ambulatory assessment study. Daily data of 125 German adolescents (11–20 years) were collected every evening through self-report and analyzed with multilevel models. Between and within individuals, physical activity was positively related to well-being and screen time was negatively related to well-being. Social contacts were positively related to well-being within individuals. Explorative analyses revealed differences between sport activity contexts (sports club, leisure time, school), and between in-person and digital social contacts. Our findings suggest that physical activity and in-person social contacts are positively related to adolescent well-being and should, thus, be enabled during the pandemic. Furthermore, the role of screen time should be considered in health promotion.