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The COVID ‐19 pandemic and young people's civic engagement: A scoping review
Journal of Research on Adolescence
Abstract
This scoping review summarizes evidence regarding the impact of civic and community engagement of young people during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Recognizing that the global pandemic not only brought challenges but also new opportunities to take a stance and to actively engage in communities and society, this review assesses the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on young people's civic engagement across different cultural contexts and identifies key factors and processes that enable young people to engage with their community or society at large. We summarize evidence from 27 original research papers, one thought piece, and four reports conducted by global organizations such as the United Nations and OECD. Relevant research was conducted in the United States, Europe, China, Southeast Asia, South Africa, and New Zealand, addressing the development of leadership skills, civic responsibility, critical consciousness, civic and community engagement, as well as social integration. Key factors that facilitated civic engagement include national investments in online learning facilities, support for basic needs (such as education, health, and employment), and promotion and encouragement of local initiatives. The studies differed in their focus depending on the socio‐cultural context encountered and future research needs to consider cultural variations and different demands on young people to inform effective practices for supporting young people's active engagement in society.
... Title 42 and the COVID-19 pandemic and the U.S. response to them both have led to increased civic participation, though with mixed reactions and impacts. For instance, these events have led to increased advocacy and awareness around immigrant rights, fostered digital mobilization via social media, and enhanced solidarity with migrant communities (Schoon et al. 2025;Shah, Miller, Yang, et al. 2023). However, they have also contributed to fear and misinformation and polarized public opinion about immigration policy and governmental mandates. ...
Over five years since Title 42 was reimplemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, questions about its necessity and lasting impact on the health of migrants and asylum seekers remain largely unanswered. Our analysis of the evidence yielded two critical findings: (1) Title 42 did not help control cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., and (2) Title 42 had a pronounced negative impact on the mental and physical well-being of migrants and asylum seekers and strained the healthcare systems meant to support them. These findings lead us to urge public health practitioners and policy makers to approach immigration and asylum policies through a lens of respect and dignity. Building social support as well as medical support networks, including proper and timely physical and mental health screenings, and connecting migrants to culturally sensitive care are essential. Our hope is that writing about this topic will rekindle discussions and build public and poltical will to advocate for fair and just policies that consider the health and wellbeing of those seeking refuge, such that the harm inflicted upon migrants and asylum seekers as a result of Title 42 and similar laws and policies will not be repeated.
During the early years of the 2020s, adolescents worldwide faced the challenges posed by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This special section includes four review articles examining how the pandemic influenced youth family relationships, peer relationships, experiences at school, and their civic engagement. These reviews are complemented by four insightful commentaries and five contributions from youth reflecting on their personal experiences during this unprecedented time. Collectively, the reviews, commentaries, and youth perspectives offer a profound and nuanced understanding of the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic and the pathways by which contextual factors either hindered or facilitated positive youth development. They provide guidelines aimed at empowering and supporting youth and their families while also considering the systems in which they are embedded.
During the COVID‐19 pandemic, youth across the globe took outstanding initiatives to support their communities. From distributing food and oxygen to raising funds via digital platforms, young people demonstrated their potential in times of crisis. This commentary explores how youth civic engagement surged during the pandemic, driven by digital activism, community‐led initiatives, and institutional collaboration. The scoping review highlighted the importance of Positive Youth Development (PYD) in fostering leadership skills and social responsibility among youth, while also exposing challenges like the digital divide and the risk of armchair activism. Drawing from examples in India, where youth‐led initiatives and government recognition played a crucial role, this commentary discusses how civic participation can be a force for positive change, provided it is adequately supported and inclusive of diverse backgrounds.
This commentary provides a reflection on the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on adolescents in the context of family dynamics, school environments, peer relationships, and civic engagement. Drawing from four systematic literature reviews, the commentary highlights key findings, such as the long‐term effects of COVID‐19 on adolescent development, mental health, and academic well‐being. The need for future research is emphasized to assess how these cohort effects will evolve over time. Cultural context and socioeconomic disparities emerge as crucial considerations, with the pandemic exacerbating existing inequalities, especially in access to education and digital resources. This commentary also underscores the importance of adopting a socio‐ecological perspective to understand the multifaceted impact of COVID‐19 on adolescents globally. In conclusion, it calls for targeted policies to support adolescents' mental health and academic recovery post‐pandemic, particularly in underserved communities. Governments, educators, and civic organizations are encouraged to create inclusive policies that address these disparities while fostering resilience and well‐being among young people. These reviews may also inform translational research that could aid in the development of evidence‐based interventions and policies aimed at helping adolescents thrive in a post‐pandemic world.
The effects of the COVID‐19 pandemic on adolescents were extensive, touching aspects of their lives such as those reviewed in this Special Section : school experiences, family relationships, peer relationships, and civic engagement. In parallel with these effects on individuals, the fields of developmental and psychological science were shaken up by this global crisis. The accelerated transition to online data collection and collaboration presented opportunities to expand research on adolescence, breaking down many physical and social barriers to participation and sparking methodological innovation. Yet, this crisis also shed light on the global digital divides and the uneven impacts of the pandemic across the research community. This commentary reflects on the influence of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the methods and methodologies of developmental science, the challenges and opportunities it surfaced, and the populations included and omitted in this period of research. We integrate reflections on how the pandemic shaped our own research and on how the pandemic has shaped the future of developmental science.
To assess the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on young people's functioning, relationships, and well‐being, four systematic reviews were put together to shed light on school experiences, family and peer relationships, and civic engagement during the pandemic. The reviews presented research findings on the protective role of several personal and contextual resources including intrinsic motivation, self‐efficacy, family, school, peer, and community support, as well as the harming effect of risk factors, such as poor mental health, COVID‐19‐related stressors, and technological challenges, thus highlighting the significant role of both personal and contextual factors in adolescent development and well‐being. Equally important, the research findings collectively suggested an ecological perspective of the determining factors, although the focus was largely on factors in immediate contexts (family, school, peers, and local community). Adopting a more holistic approach that also considers factors in other ecological contexts (e.g., partnership between immediate contexts, the influence of cultural values and norms along with educational and developmental transitions) can be crucial in addressing the specific needs of young people across diverse contexts and cultures during a pandemic and in general. In addressing their needs, the ever‐growing digital space of young people can be utilized to connect them to services and supportive networks in their contexts including distal ones.
The pandemic lockdowns interrupted critical developmental experiences especially for adolescents and emerging adults engaged in the challenge of constructing identities. This commentary focuses on four review articles that document both negative and positive consequences of the pandemic on family, peer, school, and community interactions. I argue that worldwide experiences of these interruptions led to a shared generational experience of disconnection and isolation, that, paradoxically, creates a shared generational identity. The COVID‐19 generation shares a view of the world as unsafe, unpredictable, and unfair; yet, at the same time, they are perhaps more oriented toward social justice. Generational identities formed at pivotal developmental moments continue to reverberate across the life course. How these formative experiences of the pandemic will continue to influence the life course of the COVID‐19 generation remains to be seen.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, youth experienced abrupt closures of in-person spaces that were vital for their civic development, like schools and community organizations. Social media became the primary context for youth to make their voices heard and mobilize around important sociopolitical issues like anti-Asian racism, police violence, and elections. However, youth experienced civic development in different ways during the pandemic. Some youth gained a critical awareness of societal inequities, while others were radicalized into far-right ideologies. Racially minoritized youth experienced vicarious trauma and racism while civically engaging in 2020, and their civic development must be viewed in the context of the dual pandemics of COVID-19 and structural racism.
In an unprecedented scenario, much of the research and interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic, which focused on young people, found themselves suspended. (1) Background: The goals of this project were to investigate (Study 1) social participation and positive development among young people in Cascais, Portugal, and to investigate (Study 2-a case study) the implementation of a program promoting active citizenship, social participation, and social entrepreneurship. At the same time, it was intended to constitute a resource and strategy to diminish the social alienation exacerbated by the pandemic. (2) Methods: SPSS v.26 software was used to analyze quantitative data from questionnaires used in the study of social participation, as well as the pre- and post-test impacts, and MAXQDA 2020 software was used to analyze qualitative data from YouTube discussions about youth needs and strategies for their problems, as well as from focus groups. (3) Results: In S1, it was evident that young people’s expectations of participation in the community were not defined and that their expected participation in the community was of a weekly nature. They considered themselves to have a good sense of belonging to the community or group and had reasonable social self-efficacy. Girls showed higher scores in Expectations of Community Participation and Active Participation. In their positive development, they did not have a defined evaluation of their competence, but their connection with others was evaluated as good. Boys showed higher levels of Competence. They said that every week they make 1 h of their day available to help others, and they did not frequently report feelings of social alienation. In S2, the evaluation of the impact of the project generally showed an improvement in the action research skills of the participants. At the end, six projects were proposed. In the analysis of the participants’ voices, the themes related to Substance Use, Social Capital, and Love and Sexuality stood out with higher participation and lower participation in the themes of Diversity, Culture and Housing. (4) Conclusions: The results suggest a need to encourage social participation, active citizenship, and entrepreneurship, along with their knowledge and skills for action. The promotion of debate and knowledge on issues related to young people’s lives seems to be a priority, especially issues related to Diversity, Culture and Housing. The Dream Teens model may prove to be an important strategy in this work, suggesting that this project may constitute a relevant model for future work.
Introduction
The ubiquity of online classes during the COVID-19 pandemic induced the widespread use of videoconferencing applications. However, the prolonged use of these applications can lead to videoconferencing fatigue. Drawing from an online survey sample of 215 senior high school students from a selected private university in Manila, Philippines, this mixed methods study examines videoconferencing fatigue and its relationship with online student engagement (OSE) during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Materials and methods
This study utilized a convergent triangulation research design. The quantitative strand was cross-sectional in nature. The constructs were measured using the Zoom Exhaustion and Fatigue Scale and Online Student Engagement Scale. Bivariate and multivariate statistical tests were used to determine the significance of the relationships between variables. The qualitative strand utilized a descriptive design. Narrative data were collected through an open-ended survey question and analyzed using content analysis.
Results
Quantitative results indicate moderate to high levels of videoconferencing fatigue among student respondents. Moreover, higher levels of OSE were observed among those who endured higher visual fatigue and attended videoconferences more days a week. Qualitative findings demonstrate various manifestations of videoconferencing fatigue among students and relate it with decreased energy to perform academic tasks and learning absorption. However, the qualitative analysis also reveals students’ perceived need for videoconferencing to learn online.
Discussion
The nuanced insights from both strands highlight that despite their perceived negative impacts of videoconferencing, students had to tolerate visual videoconferencing fatigue in order to engage meaningfully in online classes.
The Electoral Commission of SA shows that only over eight million out of more than 26.2-million registered voters voted in the 2021 local government elections. This is a cause for concern when this figure is compared with other elections, which amounted to a preliminary turnout of about 30.5% by Monday 01 November 2021 at 21h00. Thus, the lower voter turnout is arguably a true reflection of the citizens frustration with and distrust of politicians. This study aims to explore the socioeconomic factors that contributed to young people's apathy towards politics and discouraged them to engage in voting during COVID-19 and to suggest both short-and long-term solutions to address the youth political disengagement in South Africa. The qualitative approach was adopted in this study, followed by a convenient sample of 20 youths. Individual interviews was used to collect data. The collected data was anlysed through thematic analysis. The finding revealed that socioeconomic factors such as nationwide lockdown COVID-19 restrictions, youth unemployment, electoral system, poverty prevented young people from participating to political engagement. Accordingly, this study recommends for multifaceted electoral reforms in South Africa that will give voters the power to hold elected representatives accountable and provide clear details of who should hold a representative office.
The aim of this research was to recognize the relationship between well-being and civic engagement under the difficult circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic amongst students from Poland, Lithuania and Croatia. Overall, 1362 academic students (Poland, n = 596, Croatia, n = 386, and Lithuania, n = 379) participated in the study. Mean rank differences in civic engagement level (overall CE) were analysed by levels of psychological well-being (overall PWB and its subscales) using the Kruskal–Wallis test (one-way ANOVA on ranks). We conducted post hoc analysis with Bonferroni tests to measure the significance of differences in CE between the detailed levels of PWB. To avoid biases due to interaction effects between dependent variables, the analysis of mean ranks was followed by a binomial logistic regression analysis model and subgroups analysis (by gender and by country). Results obtained showed that students with higher levels of psychological well-being have higher levels of civic engagement. The differences in the CE level are most pronounced in relation to the dimension of a PWB, such as “positive relations with others”, followed by “personal growth”, “autonomy”, and “self-acceptance”. In a crisis, such as a pandemic, it is worth encouraging students to take targeted actions, as well as to create actions referring to personal development and relationships. There were no differences in the direction and shape of the associations between psychological well-being and civic engagement with respect to the country and the gender of the participants, which leads us to draw conclusions pointing to the globalised nature of student experience during the pandemic in this part of Europe.
Positive youth development (PYD) is an innovative approach to protect students from mental health problems and promote their positive and holistic development. Although there are many studies on the beneficial effects of PYD programs on youth in high school and community contexts, it is not clear whether subjects adopting PYD principles can promote positive development for university students. Moreover, it is unclear whether such subjects are effective under COVID-19, where subjects are commonly taught via the “hybrid” mode (i.e., face-to-face plus online teaching). The present study examined students’ changes in the PYD, wellbeing, and desired graduate attributes after they had taken a leadership subject utilizing PYD principles taught by the “hybrid” mode (N = 630). Adopting the one-group pre-test and post-test design (i.e., objective outcome evaluation), we found that students showed significant positive improvement in PYD indicators, wellbeing, as well as desired graduate attributes. Additionally, students had high satisfaction with the course design and teaching staff, and perceived many benefits from this subject based on the subjective outcome evaluation conducted at the end of the subject. Results also showed that students’ satisfaction with the curriculum significantly and positively predicted their positive change in PYD indicators, indicating the convergence of subjective outcome evaluation and objective outcome evaluation. The results highlight the positive impacts of the hybrid mode leadership subject with PYD principles in higher education.
The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed vulnerability of young people in the labour market. Young people are faced with risks and an uncertain future, as well as changing the nature of labour markets. Active labour market policies are addressed as the main instrument to improve employment possibilities of young people in the light of the Covid-19 pandemic situation and its aftermath. This paper analyses the effectiveness of active labour market policies in reducing youth unemployment for the EU-26 Member States using aggregate data. Based on dynamic generalised methods of moments-GMM panel data approach, we find that active labour market policies do not support reduction of youth unemployment. Moreover, unfavourable prospects in the formal sector push young people into the informal sector. Considering the multiple shocks with which young people are being faced with, and the long-term pandemic impact, it suggests the scarring effect for young people. The analysis of the effectiveness of active labour market policy in reducing youth unemployment is of particular policy relevance, as the negative effects of the pandemic COVID-19 crisis are imminent, and the labour market situation is expected to worsen due to the fall in economic activity. Different measures of success would bring societal benefits not only from the public health perspective, but also from the perspective of well-being of young people. Moreover, OECD & European Commission (2022), in their joint policy brief, argue that investing in the growth sectors such as the circular economy, digital economy and the green economy would have the potential to employ young job seekers.
This paper examines the perceived effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the learning of job skills and on education. The context is post-Brexit Britain. We find that 47% of young people in a representative sample perceive a loss of learning of job skills, while a sizeable minority (17%) judge that the pandemic improved matters. The perception of skill loss is worse among those encountering Covid directly, and far worse among those in school, college or university than among those in employment. Among those in education, loss of learning of job skills is higher among those experiencing only online learning, but lower for those who have had some work experience. Among those in employment, loss of learning is mitigated by training, which dropped sharply at the start of the pandemic but recovered and thereafter deviated little from its long-term trend. Neither the average amount of training, nor the perception of loss of learning, were affected by being placed on ‘furlough’ leave. Finally, perceptions of loss of learning of job skills were greater for women than for men, and greater in Wales and Scotland than in England and Northern Ireland.
The use of electronic service-learning (e-Service-Learning or e-SL) is valuable under COVID-19 because we can provide the service without physical contact. Unfortunately, evaluation of e-SL is not widespread and there is no known study in different Chinese societies. Besides, there are many methodological limitations of the existing studies in the field. In this paper, we evaluated e-SL projects implemented in summer 2020 and 2021 in three sites in China. First, we examined service providers’ changes based on pretest and posttest scores (i.e., objective outcome evaluation) and their perceptions of the e-SL projects (i.e., subjective outcome evaluation based on the service providers). Second, graduate student assessors in Chinese mainland universities and teachers of primary school students (i.e., service recipients) rated the SL program quality, service providers’ performance and benefits to the service recipients after program completion (i.e., subjective outcome evaluation of SL projects based on other stakeholders). Third, trained graduate student assessors evaluated service quality during the implementation process (i.e., process evaluation). We found that university students (i.e., service providers) showed higher posttest scores in positive youth development attributes, leadership attributes and life satisfaction relative to pretest scores. Besides, service providers showed positive perceptions of their learning experience, own performance, benefits to the service recipients and themselves in the SL projects. Similarly, other stakeholders also had positive evaluation of the SL projects and related benefits. Finally, trained graduate student assessors had positive assessment of the quality of program implementation. The findings underscore the utility of e-SL involving both online teaching and learning as well as online service, particularly in a Chinese context.
Background
Early adolescence is a time of psychological and social change that can coincide with declines in mental health and well-being. This study investigated the psychological and social impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of students who responded to a survey in Grades 7 and 8 (ages 12–14) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. The objectives of this study were (i) to provide an overview on early adolescents' experiences and social-emotional well-being during the pandemic; and (ii) to examine whether changes in social experiences as well as feeling safe from getting COVID-19 at school were associated with changes in well-being outcomes over the course of a year.
Methods
A sample of n = 1,755 students from a large public school district self-reported on their life satisfaction, optimism, and symptoms of sadness across two time points: First, in their Grade 7 year (pre-pandemic; January to March, 2020) and then 1 year later in their Grade 8 year (during the pandemic; January to March, 2021). In Grade 8, students also reported on pandemic-specific experiences, including changes in mental health, social relationships, and activities, as well as coping strategies and positive changes since the pandemic. Data were collected online using the Middle Years Development Instrument (MDI), a population-based self-report tool that assesses children's social-emotional development and well-being in the context of their home, school, and neighborhood. Multivariable linear regression analyses were used to examine associations between pandemic-related changes in relationships and perceived safety from getting COVID-19 at school with changes in well-being outcomes.
Results
Students reported a range of experiences, with a large proportion reporting moderate concerns and impacts of the pandemic, including worries about their mental health and missing school activities. Students reported significantly lower optimism, lower life satisfaction, and higher sadness compared to the previous year. Within the sample, improvements in relationships with parents and other adults at home was associated with higher well-being during the pandemic.
Implications
Results from this study can inform decision making of policy-makers, educators, and practitioners working with youth, by providing information on students' experiences during the pandemic and identifying factors that may be protective for students' mental health during and beyond the pandemic.
How is the evolving COVID crisis affecting workers’ employment outcomes? Using the ERF COVID-19 MENA Monitors for Egypt and Jordan (July ‘20–September ‘21), we estimate probabilistic models of workers’ employment statuses and of their job loss. We confirm that the stringency of COVID regimes affects negatively employment and labor participation, particularly among youths, even if they were not disadvantaged before. Workers’ preexisting status affects their outcome amid COVID, implying strong state dependence of employment. Those laid off amid COVID are predominantly those without formal employment before the pandemic. During the easing of COVID regimes between the fall of 2020 and mid-2021, men’s employment prospects gradually improved, but women experienced a stagnation by being largely excluded from work opportunities irrespective of COVID developments. Youths of both genders are affected more adversely than non-youths during the pandemic, face higher risks of getting laid off, and lower prospects of becoming employed—supporting the ‘last in’ hypothesis.
The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected young people aged 16–25 years and has brought about a major increase in mental health problems. Although there is persisting evidence regarding SES differences in mental health status, there is still little knowledge of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health, in particular during the current pandemic. Guided by a stress process model this study examines the role of different psychosocial resource factors in mitigating the vulnerability to mental distress among disadvantaged young people and specifies a range of possible mediating pathways. The research draws on a nationally representative longitudinal sample of 16–25 year-olds who participated in the Youth Economic Activity and Health (YEAH) online survey conducted in the UK between February and October 2021. Mental health was measured using the Hopkins Symptom Checklist for anxiety and depression. Socio-economic disadvantage was indicated by parental education and receipt of free school meals. Experience of stress was indicated by financial strain. Psychosocial resource factors included indicators of optimism, self-efficacy, and social support. We controlled for age, gender, living arrangements, and economic activity of the young person (being in education, employment or NEET). The findings suggest sequential mediating processes where SES influences are partially mediated via financial strain and the psychosocial resource factors. In addition, the psychosocial resource factors showed independent effects supporting mental health in the face of socio-economic adversity. Moreover, social support played a significant role in boosting self-efficacy and optimism, which in turn reduce mental distress. The findings highlighting the importance of specifying the assumed mediating processes, and to consider multiple resource factors instead of single aspects to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the processes linking SES to young people's mental health.
This study investigated the relations of emerging adults' personal (civic competence and interdependent self‐construal) and community‐based (sense of community and civic engagement) resources as predictors of appraisal of COVID‐19 Public Health Emergency Management (PHEM) and attitudes toward preventing contagion in Italy. Participants were 2873 Italian emerging adults (71% females) aged 19–30 years (M = 22.67, SD = 2.82). Structural equation modeling revealed both direct and indirect positive associations among study variables. Civic competence and interdependent self‐construal were related to sense of community and civic engagement behavior which, in turn, predicted appraisal of PHEM. Appraisal of PHEM in turn predicted attitudes toward preventing contagion. Overall, findings highlight the importance of examining the alignment between personal and collective interests to understand emerging adults' evaluative and attitudinal experiences during a period of crisis, such as that created by COVID‐19.
Youths have responded to the unprecedented socio-economic impact of COVID-19 pandemic through civic and political participation. However, knowledge gaps exist with documenting specific motivations and forms involved in participation, as well as the implications for subsequent engagement. Using public podcast episodes produced by the author during Singapore’s nine-day election campaign held under lockdown, youth perspectives were analysed thematically to understand youth motivations, participation forms and how participation shapes future sociopolitical engagement. Findings suggest that Singaporean youth were motivated to build awareness and activism and take action between elections and during GE2020. Youth participation was a mix of conventional and non-conventional activities with seamless digital transitions. That any form of participation during the election resulted in youth resolve to continue or expand their engagement beyond GE2020, with awareness and activism and action perceived as mutually reinforcing motivations, has implications for future political behaviours and activities and issues in which youth are engaged.
The research presented in this article explores how young people in New Zealand exercised their citizenship during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Building upon the theoretical concepts of ‘actions’ and ‘acts of citizenship’, this qualitative study draws on data from the experiences of 30 young people aged over 16 in the city of Auckland. Data included classroom observations, focus group interviews, individual interviews and the sharing of student artefacts (e.g. posters and videos). The experiences of the participants covered a wide range of engagement in citizenship rights, sites, scales and acts. Our findings offered an alternative to prevailing portrayals of young people as either passive victims or self-centred troublemakers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lessons for citizenship education are discussed at the end of the article.
NEET (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) youth rates in Europe are generally higher in rural regions than in urban areas and the share in rural regions is constantly increasing. During the COVID-19 pandemic, young people became even more vulnerable as they experienced social exclusion and mental health problems. The objective of this paper is to analyse NEET youth-related statistics in Europe and distinguish positive initiatives for young people in rural areas of the Baltic countries to encourage positive emotions and willingness to learn. Statistical analysis and case study methods were employed. Data on youth unemployment, NEET youth by age and gender, and poverty and social exclusion of young people, is analysed. Social policy initiatives in Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, mainly from rural municipalities, are presented and discussed. This research determines the key issues related to NEET youth and proposes initiatives to overcome existing problems among young people. Such social initiatives aim to promote positive social emotions of youth, promote their inclusion in society, and foster regional sustainability.
Background
The COVID‐19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented threat to global mental health. Children and adolescents may be more susceptible to mental health impacts related to their vulnerable developmental stage, fear of infection, home confinement, suspension of regular school and extracurricular activities, physical distancing mandates, and larger scale threats such as global financial recessions and associated impacts. Our objective was to review existing evidence of the COVID‐19 pandemic’s global impact on the mental health of children and adolescents <19 years of age and to identify personal and contextual factors that may enhance risk or confer protection in relation to mental health outcomes.
Methods
We conducted a search of peer‐reviewed and preprint research published in English from January 1, 2020, to February 22, 2021. We included studies collecting primary data on COVID‐19‐related mental health impacts on children and adolescents. We graded the strength of included articles using the Oxford Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine rating scheme.
Results
Our search and review yielded 116 articles presenting data on a total of 127,923 children and adolescents; 50,984 child and adolescent proxy reports (e.g., parents, healthcare practitioners); and >3,000 chart reviews. A high prevalence of COVID‐19‐related fear was noted among children and adolescents, as well as more depressive and anxious symptoms compared with prepandemic estimates. Older adolescents, girls, and children and adolescents living with neurodiversities and/or chronic physical conditions were more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes. Many studies reported mental health deterioration among children and adolescents due to COVID‐19 pandemic control measures. Physical exercise, access to entertainment, positive familial relationships, and social support were associated with better mental health outcomes.
Conclusions
This review highlights the urgent need for practitioners and policymakers to attend to and collaborate with children and adolescents, especially those in higher risk subgroups, to mitigate short‐ and long‐term pandemic‐associated mental health effects.
This mixed-method study explores the accessibility of developmental assets among Egyptian and Roma minority youth in Albania during the COVID-19 pandemic. Six focus groups were conducted in August 2020 with Egyptian (n = 16) and Roma (n = 15) adolescents (14-20 years, M age = 16.71; SD age = 2.00; 14 girls and 17 boys). In addition, adolescents rated how much they experienced each developmental asset. Descriptive and thematic analyses highlighted: (1) low developmental assets and barriers to accessing resources, (2) mental health concerns and coping strategies, (3) the role of proximal contexts of life, and (4) experiences within the society in terms of discrimination, integration, and contribution to society. Inter-sectoral community-based interventions are urgently needed to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on minority youth.
This novel paper aimed to develop the Meaningful School Questionnaire (MSQ) to assess meaning in life in school context and examined whether meaningful school serves as a moderator on the links between the coronavirus risk, youth–parent relationships, and internalizing problems. Participants included 383 adolescents (38.4% male; Mean = 14.23 ± 2.04). Factor analysis yielded a two-factor solution: purpose-enjoyment and responsible understanding. Meaningful school moderated the mediating effect of positive youth–parent relations on the association between coronavirus risk and internalizing problems. Findings suggest that students with greater life meaning exhibit more internalizing problems when coronavirus risk is high and positive youth–parent relationships is low. This evidence supports that life meaning is key to foster the psychological health of young people during the pandemic. Thus, meaning-based intervention strategies could be developed to improve youths’ sense of life meaning and purpose in the school context, which in turn enhance their resilience to foster their mental health and flourishing. These programs could facilitate youths to cope with stressful experiences such as the coronavirus pandemic by promoting their protective and promotive resources.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a great challenge to leadership education in universities. Although previous findings provide support for the effectiveness of online learning, the impact of online leadership course on students’ learning outcomes and well-being has not been well documented. Using objective outcome and subjective outcome evaluation strategies, the present study examined students’ perceived qualities and effectiveness of an online credit-bearing service leadership course adopting asynchronous mode (primarily online learning) and synchronous mode under COVID-19. Regardless of teaching modes, the subject yielded positive impacts. Specifically, pretest-posttest (N = 228) showed that there were positive changes in students’ service leadership qualities, life satisfaction and psychological well-being. For students’ perception of the course (N = 219), results indicated that most students were positive in their learning experience and satisfied with course design, lecturer quality and the benefits of the course to their development. Students’ changes and subjective perceptions were positively correlated, but with a low effect size. The findings reflected that online service leadership course adopting asynchronous or synchronous mode was effective, and students were positive about their learning experience.
Objective: The objective of this scoping review was to systematically summarize the available literature investigating the relationships between the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and movement behaviors (physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep) of school-aged children (aged 5−11 years) and youth (aged 12−17 years) in the first year of the COVID-19 virus outbreak.
Methods: Searches for published literature were conducted across 6 databases on 2 separate search dates (November 25th 2020 and January 27th 2021). Results were screened and extracted by 2 reviewers (DCP and KR) independently using Covidence. Basic numeric analysis and content analysis were undertaken to thematically present the findings of included studies according to the associated impact on each movement behavior.
Results: A total of 1489 records were extracted from database searches; of those, 150 met inclusion criteria and were included for analysis. Out of 150 articles, 110 were empirical studies examining physical activity (n = 77), sedentary behavior/screen time (n = 58), and sleep (n = 55). Results consistently reported declines in physical activity time, increases in screen time and total sedentary behavior, shifts to later bed and wake times, and increases in sleep duration. The reported impacts on movement behaviors were greater for youth than for children.
Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is related to changes in the quantity and nature of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep among children and youth. There is an urgent need for policy makers, practitioners, and researchers to develop solutions for attenuating adverse changes in physical activity and screen time among children and youth.
Significance
School closures have been a common tool in the battle against COVID-19. Yet, their costs and benefits remain insufficiently known. We use a natural experiment that occurred as national examinations in The Netherlands took place before and after lockdown to evaluate the impact of school closures on students’ learning. The Netherlands is interesting as a “best-case” scenario, with a short lockdown, equitable school funding, and world-leading rates of broadband access. Despite favorable conditions, we find that students made little or no progress while learning from home. Learning loss was most pronounced among students from disadvantaged homes.
Service-learning is a widely adopted educational pedagogy and philosophy. With the support from the Wharf (Holdings) Limited (Group), service-learning was conducted in the “Project WeCan” in Hong Kong. Prior to COVID-19, traditional service-learning was implemented with students learning in the classroom and applying their knowledge and skills to the community through providing direct face-to-face service. With the COVID-19 outbreak in the 2019–20 academic year, school lockdown measures appeared. Students had to learn online and to design and implement service offsite. As the impacts of this rapid shift in paradigm remain unknown, this study examined changes in university students using a pretest–posttest design (n = 124) and perceptions of service-learning experience via the subjective outcome evaluation design (n = 192) under COVID-19. The authors also investigated service recipients’ (n = 56) satisfaction with service activities they participated in during the pandemic. Both objective outcome evaluation and subjective outcome evaluation findings revealed that service providers (university students) and recipients (secondary school students) experienced benefits from the Project. Findings support the benefits of online service-learning in “Project WeCan” even during unprecedented times such as COVID-19.
The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement, published in 2009, was designed to help systematic reviewers transparently report why the review was done, what the authors did, and what they found. Over the past decade, advances in systematic review methodology and terminology have necessitated an update to the guideline. The PRISMA 2020 statement replaces the 2009 statement and includes new reporting guidance that reflects advances in methods to identify, select, appraise, and synthesise studies. The structure and presentation of the items have been modified to facilitate implementation. In this article, we present the PRISMA 2020 27-item checklist, an expanded checklist that details reporting recommendations for each item, the PRISMA 2020 abstract checklist, and the revised flow diagrams for original and updated reviews.
The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak has posed a great challenge to teaching and learning activities in higher education, particularly for service-learning subjects that involve intensive human interaction. Although service-learning may be transformed to a virtual mode in response to the pandemic, little is known about the impact of this new mode on student learning and well-being. This paper reports a university credit-bearing service-learning subject that involves services toward needy children and adolescents in a non-face-to-face mode under COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the effectiveness of this subject by comparing it with the same subject delivered via a face-to-face mode. Objective outcome evaluation via a pretest-posttest comparison (N = 216) showed that the students who took service-learning subjects with and without face-to-face interaction showed similar positive changes in positive youth development competences, service leadership qualities, and life satisfaction. Subjective outcome evaluation (N = 345) also showed that most students were satisfied with the subject, instructors and benefits regardless of the service mode. The findings highlight the important role of non-face-to-face service learning in promoting college students’ positive growth and well-being.
The outbreak of COVID-19 affected the lives of all sections of society as people were asked to self-quarantine in their homes to prevent the spread of the virus. The lockdown had serious implications on mental health, resulting in psychological problems including frustration, stress, and depression. In order to explore the impacts of this pandemic on the lifestyle of students, we conducted a survey of a total of 1182 individuals of different age groups from various educational institutes in Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR), India. The article identified the following as the impact of COVID-19 on the students of different age groups: time spent on online classes and self-study, medium used for learning, sleeping habits, daily fitness routine, and the subsequent effects on weight, social life, and mental health. Moreover, our research found that in order to deal with stress and anxiety, participants adopted different coping mechanisms and also sought help from their near ones. Further, the research examined the student's engagement on social media platforms among different age categories. This study suggests that public authorities should take all the necessary measures to enhance the learning experience by mitigating the negative impacts caused due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
While positive youth development (PYD) has proven beneficial in developing youth’s strengths, fomenting youth–adult partnerships, and cultivating leadership, missing from the framework is a critical understanding of the role and impact of power, privilege, and oppression on young people’s development and lived experiences. To address this absence, we developed a critical positive youth development (CPYD) framework. Bridging positive youth development (PYD) with critical theory, CPYD positions critical consciousness—consisting of critical reflection, political efficacy, and critical action—as the 7th C of PYD and as integral to both the learning process and healthy socioemotional development. This paper introduces the CPYD framework and examines implications and applications for practitioners, including exploring the role of storytelling as an effective method through which to apply CPYD and highlighting one specific example.
The lockdown imposed in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as the resulting surge in the use of digital technologies and social media for activism or social life all represent a unique opportunity to study the relationship between online and offline activism. To do so, we focus on the Barcelona branch of Fridays For Future, the recent and global youth climate movement that expanded through social networks and organised several large-scale global protests. Based on data from Fridays For Future-Barcelona’s Twitter account, the analysis looks at and compares the level of activity and interactions during normal times and during the lockdown. The results suggest a close and mutually-reinforcing relationship between offline and online activism, with peaks of Twitter activity and interactions usually revolving around offline protest actions. They also show that the lockdown period was characterised by an increase in the number of tweets but a decrease in the number of interactions and thus in the repercussion of the movement on social networks.
The psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been widely discussed during the past few months, with scholars expressing concern about its potential debilitating consequences on youth mental health. Hence, this research aimed to provide a systematic review of the evidence on the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on youth mental health. We conducted a mixed methods integrated review to identify any empirical study that focused on young people ≤ 18 years old. Eight databases were systematically searched to identify studies of any type of research design. The selection procedure followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. The protocol of this systematic review was registered with PROSPERO (protocol ID: CRD4202019375). Twelve studies deemed eligible for data extraction (n = 12,262). The findings show that COVID-19 has an impact on youth mental health and is particularly associated with depression and anxiety in adolescent cohorts. The quality appraisal indicated that all studies were of low or moderate methodological quality. The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting young people's lives, and thus generating robust research evidence to inform policy decisions is essential. Hence, the methodological quality of future research should be drastically improved.
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, America’s youth are suffering in unprecedented ways as their journey to adulthood is interrupted by multiple societal effects. This thought leader piece explores the power of positive youth development in a time of national crisis. The paper outlines the effects of COVID‑19 on youths’ mental health, educational engagement, and workforce opportunities, all of which have been profoundly affected by the pandemic. The paper makes the case for increasing investment in positive youth development programs and people and highlights key areas where such programs can help support and transform youth, and in-turn society writ large. These areas include increasing equitable access to youth development programs, addressing gaps in opportunities for youth, creating a workforce pipeline, elevating youth voice, and promoting civil discourse and engagement.
The study aimed to investigate the resourcefulness of young people in response to COVID-19 in Cape Town. A qualitative research method was used, and a purposive sampling technique to select the participants. The study selected 10 young people who were at the forefront against the pandemic. A participatory approach through one-on-one semi-structured interviews was used to collect data. Data were analysed using thematic analysis, and the results presented in raw data to achieve the study objective. The rapid spread of the coronavirus in South Africa affected the health and social lives of young people. Cutting off access to school because of lockdown measures resulted in malnutrition for young people who depend on school food schemes. The study findings revealed that digital dexterity, community screening, food parcel distribution, social distance monitoring, and educational awareness comprise the strong reaction that young people embarked on in response to COVID-19. In conclusion, the study recommends that the National Youth Development Agency should offer a grant for young emerging social entrepreneurs during and after COVID-19 to respond to societal issues that affect them and promote community development.
If democratic societies are to survive as true democracies, they need citizens who are informed, concerned and active. How such citizens develop from childhood into adults is crucial information for educators, psychologist, young people, parents, politicians and many, many others. This watershed work brings an understanding to the disparate activist youth groups internationally as well as the interdisciplinary research that explores this phenomena. Featuring 185 original entries—from chatrooms, to grass roots movements, from gangs and politics to Riot GRRLS and Campus Crusade for Christ—this authoritative source lends insight and explanation to the history as well as contemporary forms of youth commitment today. First-person accounts from today's youth activists as well as adult activists illuminate the journey from young idealist to lifelong work.
The major categories that frame this work are advocacy for social causes; adolescent and youth development; education; historical examples; media and internet infulence and use; national examples of activism and social movement; organizations and programs; political context; postive youth development; social background factors, e.g., economic class, race, ethnicity, gender and culture; social relationships and networks; voices of activism; and youth culture.
The disruptions to community functioning caused by the COVID‐19 pandemic spurred individuals to action. This empirical study investigated the social, emotional, and behavioral (SEB) skill antecedents to college students' volunteering during the COVID‐19 pandemic (N = 248, Mage = 20.6). We assessed eight SEB skills at the onset of a volunteering program, and students' volunteer hours were assessed 10‐weeks later. Approximately 41.5% of the sample did not complete any volunteer hours. Higher levels of perspective taking skill, abstract thinking skill, and stress regulation were associated with more time spent volunteering. These results suggest that strength in particular SEB skills can prospectively predict prosocial civic behaviors.
Disasters like COVID-19 adversely affect young adults but also present opportunities for civic and community engagement. Cognizant of and personally experiencing the pandemic’s disproportionate socio-economic fallout on disadvantaged communities, civically engaged young adults have mobilized and questioned government actors and structures which perpetuated pre-pandemic vulnerabilities. However, research gaps exist about their motivations, community engagement processes, and implications of post-disaster mobilization on long-term socio-political engagement with communities and governments. A thematic analysis of public podcast episodes produced by the author during Singapore’s COVID-19 lockdown revealed five chronologically related themes: “Pandemic and lockdown as triggers,” “Motivations,” “Online mobilization,” “Action,” and “Future directions.” Respondents, triggered by COVID-19, were motivated by new socio-economic needs and existing inequalities and responded quickly. Their seamless online mobilization and action informed future civic and political directions, resulting in two distinct approaches to long-term engagement. Those framing their initiatives as addressing preexisting needs called for more fundamental changes to ensure communities were not vulnerable to start with. Others who believed that the government’s pandemic response was adequate focused solely on their own initiatives, which they saw as filling gaps that the government could not. Youth COVID-19 engagement is thus likely to shape community-building and young adults’ expectations of governments.
Previous studies have reported the feasibility and benefits of online service learning, but little is known about who benefits more from online SL and who is more satisfied. This study addressed these questions based on an evaluation of online service learning projects implemented in Xi'an and Chengdu, China, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pretest-posttest comparison showed significant positive changes in two intended learning outcomes (i.e., positive youth development qualities and service leadership qualities) and life satisfaction before and after the service among participating students in the Xi'an project. Cross-lagged modeling based on Xi'an and Chengdu data revealed that students with better initial positive youth development qualities tended to show increased service leadership qualities and life satisfaction after the service, while initial service leadership qualities did not predict positive youth development qualities and life satisfaction after the service. However, the two-line test indicated that some of these relationships might be curvilinear. Finally, Pearson correlation analyses demonstrated that students who experienced greater changes in positive youth development qualities and service leadership qualities reported better appraisal of course qualities, teacher performance, and course effectiveness, while multiple regression analyses showed the unique effects of change in service leadership qualities (but not change in positive youth development qualities) on the perception of teacher performance and course effectiveness. Altogether, this study not only showcases the potential benefits of online SL, but also provides initial evidence suggesting the variation in (perceived) benefits by students' psychosocial competencies and learning experiences.
The COVID-19 pandemic has had wide-ranging impacts on college-going emerging adults and their communities, which may prompt them to engage civically. Using spring 2020 survey data from a national sample of college students aged 18–22 ( N = 707), we document the prevalence of pandemic-related civic engagement as well as differences in engagement by sociopolitical perspectives. The majority of participants (70.4%) reported engaging civically at least once, most commonly online (e.g., sharing information about COVID-19 on social media, volunteering virtually). Results showed differences in civic engagement by communal orientation and the candidate participants intended to vote for in the 2020 presidential election, but not by political party affiliation. Qualitative data provide insight into different motivations for pandemic-related civic engagement. We conclude that emerging adult college students’ pandemic-related civic engagement is partially motivated by their sociopolitical perspectives and discuss implications for future work examining emerging adult civic engagement more broadly.
COVID-19 ravaged the delivery of sport and recreation programs and services to socially vulnerable youth. Based on the in-depth interviews with nine practitioners/volunteers working with socially vulnerable youth in Little Village, Chicago, Illinois, and their 12 youth (14–16 years old) program participants (N = 21), this study offers a constructivist grounded theory of COVID-19-imposed constraints on sport and recreation programs, their adverse impacts on socially vulnerable youth, adopted negotiation strategies, and consequent silver lining opportunities for programs to help socially vulnerable youth and struggling communities. COVID-19-imposed constraints and their effects on socially vulnerable youth were analyzed at the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural levels. Programs’ negotiation strategies included moving to virtual and home programming, switching from indoor to outdoor activities focusing on civic responsibility, and adopting COVID-19 safety/prevention protocols. Learned lessons and unexpected opportunities amid adversity contribute to knowledge, practice, and advocacy efforts focusing on socially vulnerable youth and disadvantaged communities.
This study contributes new insights into digital multimodal composing (DMC) using a multimodal analysis of two COVID-19-related videos embedded in a virtual ethnography of social media platforms in China. The analysis examined how video-makers drew on meaning-making resources and multimodal techniques in DMC to enact practices of civic participation at a time of crisis. The findings revealed two new modes of civic participation enacted through DMC: popularizing scientific knowledge of safe living at a time of confusion and discriminations, and inspiring people to fight the virus and fears with courage and hope. The findings also show that these forms of civic participation were mediated by ingenious remixing practices and gave rise to participatory communities with local and global reaches. The study argues that DMC renders a new avenue for civic participation. Implications on how DMC can be used for civic purposes and digital citizenship education are discussed.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership development of Korean American youth who participated in a community-based participatory action research program designed to assist community members affected by COVID-19. Participants were drawn from a small town in the southeastern part of the U.S. Using a case study approach, multiple qualitative data (e.g., focus group conversations) and quantitative survey data were collected to explore the learning experiences of 15 Korean American adolescents. Qualitative data was analyzed following the six steps of thematic analysis, and descriptive statistics were performed to analyze quantitative data. Findings suggest that the program provided authentic learning opportunities in which participants researched the needs of community members and implemented action plans to help them. The program also helped participants improve communication skills and broaden their leadership perspectives. However, participants’ perceived leadership development differed depending on their self-identified ethnic identity, and those students who lacked Korean language abilities demonstrated difficulties in collaborating with fluent Korean-speaking peers in bilingual learning environments. This study addresses gaps in the youth development literature by describing how a community-based approach and culturally relevant practice can help Asian American youth develop leadership and inspire them to be change agents in their communities.
This paper describes forms of online youth civic engagement that center the experiences of youth with historically marginalized identities and documents ways that youth are civically engaged. Twenty U.S.-based, digitally active youth ages 16 to 21 years old were interviewed. Seven participants (35%) identified as female, nine (45%) as male, and four (20%) as gender nonbinary. Twelve (60%) identified as a first or second generation immigrant. Youth were recruited through youth-led movement accounts on Twitter and contacted via Direct Messaging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with youth between March and September 2020, a period spanning the outbreak of COVID-19 and rise in participation in the Black Lives Matter movement. Inductive Constant Comparative Analysis was used to document forms of youth civic engagement on social media and understand how youth ascribed meaning to their civic engagement. Framed by literature on critical consciousness and psychopolitical resistance to oppression, findings highlight three forms of online youth civic engagement: Restorying, Building Community, and Taking Collective Action. These findings indicate that, for youth with identities that have historically been marginalized, social media is an important context to be civically engaged in ways that resist oppression and injustice.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and rise in racial injustices signaled the need to engage students in macro-level interventions to maximize their contributions to their schools, communities, and society. School social workers are uniquely positioned to elevate student voices, hone their critical thinking skills, and capitalize on their strengths and assets. Critical thinking skills can help students analyze the world around them by engaging them in addressing equity issues in their schools and communities. This article introduces the concept of transformative social and emotional learning (TSEL) within the context of youth-led participatory action research (YPAR) and a critical service learning (CSL) framework for school social workers to promote student empowerment. Through CSL, students cultivate advocacy skills by identifying, investigating, and taking action to address concerns. Authors include a case example demonstrating TSEL and YPAR, using CSL as a school social work intervention that recognizes and promotes students’ strengths and assets.
We use Hamilton’s (1999) tripartite conception of the positive youth development (PYD) literature – that is, PYD as a theoretical construct, PYD as a frame for program design, and PYD as an instance of specific youth development programs – as a framework for reviewing scholarship involved in the PYD field across the second decade of the 21st century. Advances were made in all three domains and, as well, new issues emerged; chief among them was a focus on the promotion of social justice. We discuss ways in which social justice issues are being addressed within each of these domains and we present a vision for enhancing the PYD-social justice relation in future scholarship involving theory, research, program design, and community-based PYD programs.
This paper examines a youth oral history project conducted by/with/for immigrant youth of color and educators. Designed as a longitudinal five year project of critical participatory action research and youth oral histories, we sought initially to document generational experiences of schooling inequity, aggressive policing, housing precarity and immigration struggles. As a research collective we then confronted and chose to interrogate how COVID19, uprisings and activism, and remote learning affect youth of color. In our analysis we “discovered” the power of culturally responsive and sustaining education as a framework to cultivate critical consciousness and civic engagement. With an epistemic commitment to “no research on us without us,” decolonizing methodologies and research for social action, we review in this article our theoretical frameworks, epistemic commitments, methodologies, our ethical praxis and our evidence-based activism, as we explore the intimate details of critical participation as core to anti-racist developmental science.
Importance
Emerging research suggests that the global prevalence of child and adolescent mental illness has increased considerably during COVID-19. However, substantial variability in prevalence rates have been reported across the literature.
Objective
To ascertain more precise estimates of the global prevalence of child and adolescent clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms during COVID-19; to compare these rates with prepandemic estimates; and to examine whether demographic (eg, age, sex), geographical (ie, global region), or methodological (eg, pandemic data collection time point, informant of mental illness, study quality) factors explained variation in prevalence rates across studies.
Data Sources
Four databases were searched (PsycInfo, Embase, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials) from January 1, 2020, to February 16, 2021, and unpublished studies were searched in PsycArXiv on March 8, 2021, for studies reporting on child/adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms. The search strategy combined search terms from 3 themes: (1) mental illness (including depression and anxiety), (2) COVID-19, and (3) children and adolescents (age ≤18 years). For PsycArXiv, the key terms COVID-19, mental health, and child/adolescent were used.
Study Selection
Studies were included if they were published in English, had quantitative data, and reported prevalence of clinically elevated depression or anxiety in youth (age ≤18 years).
Data Extraction and Synthesis
A total of 3094 nonduplicate titles/abstracts were retrieved, and 136 full-text articles were reviewed. Data were analyzed from March 8 to 22, 2021.
Main Outcomes and Measures
Prevalence rates of clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms in youth.
Results
Random-effect meta-analyses were conducted. Twenty-nine studies including 80 879 participants met full inclusion criteria. Pooled prevalence estimates of clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms were 25.2% (95% CI, 21.2%-29.7%) and 20.5% (95% CI, 17.2%-24.4%), respectively. Moderator analyses revealed that the prevalence of clinically elevated depression and anxiety symptoms were higher in studies collected later in the pandemic and in girls. Depression symptoms were higher in older children.
Conclusions and Relevance
Pooled estimates obtained in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that 1 in 4 youth globally are experiencing clinically elevated depression symptoms, while 1 in 5 youth are experiencing clinically elevated anxiety symptoms. These pooled estimates, which increased over time, are double of prepandemic estimates. An influx of mental health care utilization is expected, and allocation of resources to address child and adolescent mental health concerns are essential.
Critical consciousness (CC) may promote well‐being, particularly during the COVID‐19 pandemic. In a national survey of 707 college students conducted in April 2020, we first validated the Short Critical Consciousness Scale (ShoCCS) among youth groups not often specifically examined in CC measurement (i.e., Asian, immigrant‐origin, LGBQ+, and women youth). Next, we examined associations between ShoCCS subscales and validated measures of both anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder‐7) and hopefulness (The Individual‐Differences Measure in Hopefulness). The ShoCCS achieved measurement invariance across racial/ethnic groups and immigrant‐origin status, and partial invariance among LGBQ+ and women‐identifying youth. We found critical reflection and action associated with anxiety for the full sample, but no evidence of moderation by sociodemographic factors. ShoCCS subscales were differentially associated with hopefulness for Asian youth and LGBQ+ youth. This study contributes to the evolution of CC measurement and extends the field by identifying well‐being associations during the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
The current longitudinal study examines changes in overall mental health symptomatology from before to after the COVID-19 outbreak in youth from the southeastern United States as well as the potential mitigating effects of self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. A sample of 105 parent–child dyads participated in the study (49% boys; 81% European American, 1% Alaska Native/American Indian, 9% Asian/Asian American; 4% Black/African American; 4% Latinx; and 4% other; 87% mothers; 25% high school graduate without college education; 30% degree from 4-year college; 45% graduate or professional school). Parents completed surveys when children were aged 6–9, 8–12, 9–13, and 12–16, with the last assessments occurring between May 13, 2020 and July 1, 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. Children also completed online surveys at ages 11–16 assessing self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. Multi-level modeling analyses showed a within-person increase in mental health symptoms from before to after the outbreak after controlling for changes associated with maturation. Symptom increases were mitigated in youth with greater self-efficacy and (to some extent) problem-focused engaged coping, and exacerbated in youth with greater emotion-focused engaged and disengaged coping. Implications of this work include the importance of reinforcing self-efficacy in youth during times of crisis, such as the pandemic, and the potential downsides of emotion-focused coping as an early response to the crisis for youth.
