Adolescents’ psychosocial well-being one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway

Tilmann Soest (), Michal Kozák, Rubén Rodríguez-Cano, Sam Fluit, Laura Cortés-García, Vidar S. Ulset, E. F. Haghish and Anders Bakken
Additional contact information
Tilmann Soest: University of Oslo
Michal Kozák: University of Oslo
Rubén Rodríguez-Cano: University of Oslo
Sam Fluit: University of Oslo
Laura Cortés-García: University of Oslo
Vidar S. Ulset: University of Oslo
E. F. Haghish: University of Oslo
Anders Bakken: Oslo Metropolitan University

Nature Human Behaviour, 2022, vol. 6, issue 2, 217-228

Abstract: Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically restricted adolescents’ lives. We used nationwide Norwegian survey data from 2014–2021 (N = 227,258; ages 13–18) to examine psychosocial outcomes in adolescents before and during the pandemic. Multilevel models revealed higher depressive symptoms and less optimistic future life expectations during the pandemic, even when accounting for the measures’ time trends. Moreover, alcohol and cannabis use decreased, and screen time increased. However, the effect sizes of all observed changes during the pandemic were small. Overall, conduct problems and satisfaction with social relationships remained stable. Girls, younger adolescents and adolescents from low socio-economic backgrounds showed more adverse changes during the pandemic. Estimated changes in psychosocial outcomes varied little with municipality infection rates and restrictions. These findings can inform means and interventions to reduce negative psychological outcomes associated with the pandemic and identify groups that need particular attention during and after the pandemic.

Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-021-01255-w Abstract (text/html)
Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.

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:nat:nathum:v:6:y:2022:i:2:d:10.1038_s41562-021-01255-w

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-021-01255-w

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Human Behaviour is currently edited by Stavroula Kousta

More articles in Nature Human Behaviour from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().