Are older teens more frustrated than younger teens by the covid-19 restrictions? The role of psychological maturity, personality traits, depression and life satisfaction

Abstract

Many studies have shown the negative impact of lockdowns on adolescents, but there is less evidence on how they are affected by other stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, and, especially, whether there are any differences between early and late adolescence. The current study focuses on the frustration felt by adolescents because of the severe COVID-19 restrictions in a non-lockdown situation. We aimed to (a) assess the role of maturity and two personality traits (emotional stability and extraversion) in predicting their frustration, and (b) compare the levels of frustration, depressive symptoms, and life satisfaction in older and younger adolescents. The sample of older adolescents was also compared with a paired sample of the same age collected in 2018, before the pandemic. The results suggest that maturity, extraversion and emotional stability are predictors of frustration in both older and younger adolescents, although older adolescents reported higher levels of frustration and depressive symptoms, and lower levels of life satisfaction. Older adolescents also reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than adolescents of the same age before the pandemic. These results show the negative impact of the pandemic, especially on older adolescents, and the important role of maturity and some personality traits in predicting their frustration.