Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38824582›Full record

ArticleChild and adolescent psychiatry and mental health2024

What aspects of the pandemic had the greatest impact on adolescent mental health: duration of lockdown or subjective experience?

Hiroko Fujimoto, Anita Heywood, Kate Maston, Lyndsay Brown, Alexandra Bartholomew, Aliza Werner-Seidler, Helen Christensen, Philip J Batterham

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Hiroko FujimotoBlack Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia. h.fujimoto@blackdog.org.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6999-1012
Anita HeywoodSchool of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4400-7960
Kate MastonBlack Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6912-8550
Lyndsay BrownBlack Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9516-1381
Alexandra BartholomewBlack Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9286-2756
Aliza Werner-SeidlerBlack Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9046-6159
Helen ChristensenSchool of Clinical Medicine, Discipline of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0435-2065
Philip J BatterhamCentre for Mental Health Research, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4547-6876

Funding

National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1138405National Health and Medical Research Council GNT1197074
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted global mental health, with adolescents experiencing disproportionate effects. Limited research has explored the impact of different pandemic restrictions on adolescent mental health, and only a few studies have examined the longer-term impacts of the pandemic on adolescent mental health. These investigations are crucial for informing public health policies, particularly the integration of mental health care in future public health emergencies.

methodsThis study aimed to investigate the impact of lockdown duration and the impact of adolescents' subjective experiences of the pandemic on their wellbeing, internalising symptoms, and externalising symptoms. Australian adolescents (N = 1,001, mean age = 14.2 years) completed a baseline survey in 2021, shortly after pandemic lockdowns were lifted (Time 1), and a follow-up survey approximately 12 months later (Time 2). Predictors of interest were the total duration of COVID-19 lockdowns across 2020-2021, and adolescents' subjective experiences of the pandemic on their social connections, learning, technology use and family relationships. A range of covariates were included in analyses to examine subgroup differences.

resultsLinear mixed-effects models indicated that total duration of the lockdown was not associated with any of the outcomes at Time 1 or Time 2 (all ps > 0.017). Negative subjective experience of the pandemic on learning was associated with greater externalising symptoms at both Time 1 (t = 5.17, df = 980, p <.001) and Time 2 (t = 2.72, df = 708, p =.007). Negative subjective experience of the pandemic on social connection was associated with greater internalising symptoms at Time 2 only (t = 3.20, df = 709, p =.001). Negative subjective experience of the pandemic on family relationships or technology use was not associated with any of the outcomes at Time 1 or Time 2 (all ps > 0.017).

conclusionsAdolescents' negative subjective experience of the pandemic on learning and social connections was associated with greater internalising and externalising symptoms after the lockdown had been lifted. Duration of lockdowns was not associated with any of the primary outcomes. During future public health emergencies, mental health interventions should be tailored to assist adolescents to adapt to new learning environments, and to build and maintain social connections.

Indexed as

AdolescentsCOVID-19LockdownsMental healthWellbeing

Identifiers

PMID38824582
PMCPMC11144333

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.