Survey of teen mental health in COVID-19 pandemic

Editor's Note

In this C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health at Michigan Medicine, 46% of parents of teenagers report that their child has exhibited signs of a new or worsening mental health condition since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

The poll of 977 parents also finds that more parents of girls report an increase in depression/sadness (31% vs 18%) or anxiety/worry (36/5 vs 19%) than parents of boys.

Girls and boys, respectively, had similar rates of negative changes in their sleep (24% vs 21%), withdrawing from family (14% vs 13%), and aggressive behavior (8% vs 9%).

Nearly three-fourths (73%) of parents say the pandemic has negatively affected their teenagers’ connections with friends, and 64% say their teenagers have been texting, using social media (56%), online gaming (43%), and talking on the phone (35%) every day or almost every day.

Pandemic-related lifestyle changes have wreaked havoc on the lives of teenagers, with many experiencing disruptions in their normal routines, says poll co-director Gary Freed, MD.

The poll suggests that COVID-19 pandemic era changes have had a significant mental health impact on teenagers, the researchers say.