Abstract
To identify adolescents who may be at risk for adverse outcomes, we examined the extent of COVID‐19‐related concerns reported by adolescents and investigated which prepandemic risk and protective factors predicted these concerns during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Dutch adolescents (N = 188; M age = 13.49, SD = .81) were assessed before the pandemic and at eight and ten months into the pandemic. Results demonstrated that adolescents’ most frequently reported COVID‐19‐related concerns were about social activities and getting delayed in school. Adolescents that have specific vulnerabilities before the pandemic (i.e., higher stress, maladaptive coping, or internalizing problems) experience more concerns during the pandemic, stressing the importance of guiding and supporting these adolescents in order to prevent adverse developmental outcomes.
Highlights
Society at large is heavily affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis and the accompanying national government measures to prevent the spread of the virus
Eight months into the pandemic, total COVID-19-related concerns and concerns about school were predicted by prepandemic stress, while concerns about getting sick were predicted by prepandemic maladaptive coping and concerns about financial problems were predicted by prepandemic internalizing problems
The results demonstrated that eight months into the pandemic, adolescents with a higher educational level experienced more COVID-19-related concerns related to getting sick than adolescents with a lower educational level, whereas no educational differences were found ten months into the pandemic
Summary
Society at large is heavily affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) crisis and the accompanying national government measures to prevent the spread of the virus. A hitherto somewhat understudied group in pandemic research is adolescents (Francisco et al, 2020), a group that may be affected by the drastic changes in daily lives since the outbreak of COVID-19. Adolescence is a period of social development, in which the social environment is increasingly important, especially interactions with peers (Blakemore & Mills, 2014). During this developmental period, adolescents seek independence from their parents and the interaction with and influence of peers increases significantly (de Goede, Branje, de Delsing, & Meeus, 2009).
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