Bienestar emocional, percepciones y actitudes frente a la COVID-19 en adolescentes

Introduction

The worldwide pandemic of SARS-Cov2 has had a great impact on the lives of adolescents, affecting their health and well-being. There is little evidence of the emotional impact of the pandemic on adolescents.

Objective

To explore the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of young people regarding COVID-19 and its impact on emotional well-being.

Method

A cross-sectional observational and descriptive study based on a survey of students aged 16–20 from five high schools in Barcelona metropolitan area.

Results

The study was carried out on 291 surveys. Females made up 56.7% of the population. The average age was 16.9 years. A greater lack of knowledge about the transmission of the disease was detected. The most frequently used sources of information were social networks. In terms of emotional distress, the most important aspects were worry about getting sick (64%), family financial problems (46%), anxiety and irritability (27%), and apathy (26.5%). Gender differences were detected in terms of worries (women: 28.8%; men: 11.1%), sadness (women: 29.3%, men: 15.5%), and feelings of fear (women: 24.5%; men: 11%). 16.7% of the participants consulted a mental health professional, with this being more common in women (women: 23.8%; men: 7.4%).

Conclusions

COVID-19 has affected the emotional well-being of adolescents, especially the female population. It is necessary to implement emotional well-being strategies in early childhood to cope with possible stressful situations in daily life and avoid future mental health problems.

There is a growing use of social media to combat social isolation. The results of the study hold the potential to strategies aimed at preempting forthcoming biopsychosocial distress.