Change, Adversity, and Adaptation: Young People’s Experience of the COVID-19 Pandemic Expressed through Artwork and Semi-Structured Interviews

Rhiannon Thompson, Lucy Brown, Rakhi Biswas Evans, Rayhan Mahbub, Amelia Rees, Molly Wilson, Lindsay H. Dewa, Helen Ward and Mireille B. Toledano ()
Additional contact information
Rhiannon Thompson: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
Lucy Brown: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
Rakhi Biswas Evans: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
Rayhan Mahbub: Public Contributor, Imperial College, London, UK
Amelia Rees: Public Contributor, Imperial College, London, UK
Molly Wilson: Independent Consultant, London, UK
Lindsay H. Dewa: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
Helen Ward: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK
Mireille B. Toledano: School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London W12 0BZ, UK

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 21, issue 5, 1-26

Abstract: This study explores how young people’s mental health was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic using artwork and semi-structured interviews. The mental health impacts of the pandemic are important to understand so that policy and practice professionals can support those affected, prepare and respond to future crises, and support young people who are isolated and restricted in other contexts. Co-designed participatory art workshops and interviews were conducted with 16–18-year-olds ( n = 21, 62% female) from the London-based Longitudinal cohort Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP). Artworks and interview transcripts were qualitatively co-and analysed with young people. From interviews, six themes were identified: adaptation, restriction, change, challenges, overcoming adversity, and lockdown life. From the artwork, four themes were identified: trapped, negative mental wellbeing, positive emotions, and technology. Everyday factors such as home environment, social support, hobbies, habits, and online education were key determinants of how challenged and restricted participants felt, and their capacity to overcome this. This demonstrates the importance of wider (social and environmental) determinants and supports a systems-level public health approach to young people’s mental health. For example, young people’s mental health services should collaborate with other sectors to address such determinants in a holistic way. Clearer guidance and support with occupation, relationships, environment, routine and activities could mitigate the negative mental health impacts of major environmental changes on young people.

Keywords: COVID-19; lockdown; mental health; adolescence; qualitative; co-production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/5/636/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/5/636/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:5:p:636-:d:1396191

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().