Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40834236›Full record

SynthesisJournal of adolescence2025

Adolescent Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Systematic Review of Risk and Protective Factors.

Buket Kara, Nitzan Scharf, Kathleen C McCormick, Linda Bhreathnach, Candace Currie, Jennifer Symonds

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of adolescence, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

6 authors.

Buket KaraDivision of Health Research, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4424-240X
Nitzan ScharfDepartment of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA.
Kathleen C McCormickDepartment of Psychology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA.
Linda BhreathnachSocial Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.
Candace CurrieGlasgow Caledonian University London, Glasgow, UK.
Jennifer SymondsSocial Research Institute, University College London, London, UK.

Funding

This work was funded by the European Association for Research on Adolescence (EARA).
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted adolescents' lives, leading to increased stress and anxiety rates globally. Although existing research highlights the necessity of understanding the increased rates of anxiety in adolescents during and after the pandemic, it offers little insight into the risk and protective factors for the development of adolescent anxiety at this time. To more deeply understand how the pandemic impacted anxiety in adolescents around the world, the current study adopted a qualitative approach to synthesising the global evidence on adolescents' lived experiences of anxiety during the pandemic.

methodsFive databases (Academic Search Complete, British Education Index, Education Research Information Centre, APA PsycINFO, and Scopus) were searched for studies that included qualitative data reported by adolescents on their lived experiences of anxiety during the pandemic. After duplicate records were removed, 348 records were title and abstract screened, a shortlist of 117 publications for full text screening, resulting in 34 papers to be included in the review.

resultsThematic analysis of data uncovered adolescents' experiences of anxiety during the pandemic in relation to a wide range of risk factors (i.e., academic stressors, family and economic stressors, social isolation, online dangers, uncertainties and health-related concerns) and protective factors (e.g., social support, personal coping, accurate information and clear guidelines, digital tools) in different developmental contexts.

conclusionsThese findings can guide the development of effective practices and policies for young people navigating the complexities of the post-pandemic world.

Indexed as

AnxietyCOVID-19Adaptation, PsychologicalAdolescentHumansPandemicsProtective FactorsQualitative ResearchRisk FactorsSARS-CoV-2adolescenceanxietyCOVID‐19protective factorsrisk factorssystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40834236
PMCPMC12682246

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.