Perceiving the Mental Status of the Adolescent Age Groups on the Impact of Covid 19

Introduction

Adolescence is a very crucial period during which biological and psychosocial changes occur. The appearance of certain health problems of an adolescent has an impact on the mental, social, and physical well-being while growing up. About one sixth of the global population and one fifth of Indian population are constituted by adolescents.

Globally 10–20% of children and adolescents suffer mental health illness of which 50% begin by the age of 14 years. Children with mental health illness face challenges in their routine life like stigma, isolation, and loss of access to education and health care facilities.

The prevalence of mental disorders in the age group 13–17 years is 7.3%, being nearly equal in both genders. Prevalence of mental disorders was nearly twice (13.5%) Investigation paper in urban metros as compared to rural (6.9%) areas. Early recognition and intervention would help to have favourable outcomes. Nearly 9.8 million of young Indians aged between 13 and 17 years were in need of active interventions. Thus, prevention and management of mental distress among adolescents and young adults should begin from an early age [1]. In general, mental health problems in children and adolescents are especially relevant because they may have long-term effects later in life.

Compared to adults, young people are more vulnerable to their immediate environment and have fewer resources and past experiences to cope with stressful situations. Therefore, they are more affected by stressful situations due to feelings of uncertainty.

The extent and ability to which children and adolescents can cope are subject to individual and familial or parental- related risk and resilience factors. However, whereas substantial research on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the mental health of adults has accumulated less is known about its impact on children and adolescents [2].

In particular, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale were developed to assess, respectively, perceived COVID-related fear and anxiety. Moreover, the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index was developed to assess the frequency of anxiety, depression, specific phobias, cognitive change, avoidance and compulsive behaviour, physical symptoms and loss of social functioning.

Finally, the COVID-19 Stress Scales was developed to measure the psychological impact of COVID-19 in terms of danger and contamination fears, fears about economic consequences, xenophobia, compulsive checking and reassurance seeking, and traumatic stress symptoms. Overall, the instruments reported above specifically addressed the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak in terms of psychological outcomes, without addressing and identifying specific sources of stress related to relational and daily life changes induced by the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic-related experiences induced not only fears of contagion and social isolation but also significant modifications in several aspects of daily routine, mainly influencing (hindering or intensifying) all relationships, such as those with relatives, with the partner, with friends, with colleagues.

Consequently, it emerged the need to develop instruments able to address not only the potential effects of isolation and fear of contagion but also of modifications of significant relationships in daily life, so considering all potentially perceived sources of stress featuring the experience of pandemic lockdown.

From this perspective, the academic context was deeply affected by the lockdown restrictions worldwide. Indeed, due to the massive closure of colleges and universities, all the scheduled activities and events were postponed/annulled, campuses and students’ accommodations were forced to evacuations, all the formal and informal interactions were shifted to online platforms, leading to a substantial change in students’ customary life [3].

Materials and Methods

80 adolescents who has been under the influence of lockdown in various institutions were randomly selected and asked to fill the fill the Covid Student Stress Questionnaire. The responses was analysed. Outcome was assessed using Covid Student Stress Questionnaire. Data was collected using Google forms containing the Covid Student Stress Questionnaire. Recording of the collected data was done in the systematic format.

Results

The study was conducted in the students of Sarada Krishna Homoeopathic Medical College. Participants were selected randomly based on the inclusion criteria. Covid Student Stress Questionnaire was used to analyse the stress level faced by the students during the period of lockdown due to COVID 19. The questionnaire contains questions showing the difficulties a student had to face during the lockdown period such as the impact on the academic performance, interrelationship between the students and their teachers, relationship with their peer group and also relationship with the relatives and household members [4]. The study showed that the academic experience and the academic performance implied to be the most stressful factor during the lockdown period and the risk of contagion was the least stressful factor for the students. This was followed by risk of contagion and the relationship with parents and teachers in the least stressful factors. This show that apart from the stress imposed upon the academic performances, the lockdown had a positive impact upon student life which furnished the relationship with the parents and also helped in reducing the stress due the pandemic COVD 19.

Discussion

The study setting was the Sarada Krishna Homoeopathic Medical College and students were randomly included in the study. The study focussed mainly on the stress faced by the students during the lockdown period of the academic year 2020. COVID 19 pandemic took upon our lives unexpectedly and stress took a toll upon the mental health [5]. Society had to face many fears upon which the fear of catching an unknown disease spiked over others. From the 32 % of the adolescents was moderately stressed about the risk of contagion during the period of covid [6] 50 % of the adolescents were stressed about social isolation imposed during the period of lockdown. Almost 50% of the adolescents had stressful relationship with their parents and 20% had stressful relationship with their peers and 30% had stressful relationship with their teachers [7, 8, 9].

Conclusion

The study shows the adolescents were stressed during the period of lockdown due to COVID 19 and the study shows that the academic experience and the academic performance implied to be the most stressful factor during the lockdown period and the risk of contagion was the least stressful factor for the students [10].