Mental Well-Being Among Adversity-Exposed Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Journal: JAMA network open

Volume: 7

Issue: 3

Year of Publication: 2024

Affiliated Institutions:  Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco. School of Health, University of Berkeley, Berkeley, California. Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Department of Management, Policy and Community Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston. Department of Population, Family and Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland. Division of Hospital Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco.

Abstract summary 

Further research is needed to understand factors associated with well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs).To explore factors associated with improved mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents who have experienced ACEs.This cross-sectional study used data from the baseline (2016-2018) and sixth (March 2021) COVID Rapid Response Research (RRR) surveys of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, which includes 21 sites across the US. Adolescents aged 11 to 15 years who completed the COVID RRR mental health measures were included. Data analyses were conducted from June to August 2023.School-based factors (eg, in-person school) and 8 coping behaviors (eg, exercise).The primary outcomes were adolescent-reported positive affect (PA) and perceived stress (PS). Adolescents were stratified by no ACEs, low-to-intermediate ACEs (1-3), and high ACEs (≥4). Linear regressions estimated associations between factors and mental health, adjusting for potential confounders. Unstandardized beta coefficients (B) were compared with equality of coefficients tests.The 4515 adolescents in this study (mean [SD] age, 13.3 [0.88] years; 51% [95% CI, 50% to 53%] female) were racially and ethnically diverse (American Indian/Alaska Native, 2% [95% CI, 2% to 3%]; Asian, 8% [95% CI, 7% to 9%]; Black, 11% [95% CI, 10% to 12%]; Latino or Hispanic, 17% [95% CI, 15% to 18%]; White, 61% [95% CI, 60% to 63%]; other, 1% [95% CI, 0% to 2%]). For youths with high ACEs, caring for one's body (PA B = 4.02 [95% CI, 1.39 to 6.66]; PS B = -0.92 [95% CI, -1.84 to 0.00]), exercising (PA B = 3.19 [95% CI, 0.46 to 5.92]; PS B = -1.41 [95% CI, -2.40 to -0.43]), and engaging in healthy behaviors (PA B = 4.07 [95% CI, 1.28 to 6.84]; PS B = -1.01 [95% CI, -1.98 to -0.05]) were associated with higher PA and lower PS scores. In-person schooling had a greater impact on PA scores for youths with high ACEs (B = 5.55 [95% CI, 2.08 to 9.01]) than youths with low-to-intermediate ACEs (B = 1.27 [95% CI, 0.27 to 2.27]).These findings suggest that in-person schooling and several coping behaviors (caring for one's body, exercising, and engaging in healthy behaviors) were associated with significantly higher PA and lower PS during the COVID-19 pandemic among adolescents with high ACEs. Adolescents with high ACEs demonstrated especially greater mental health scores when they reported in-person schooling. Future studies should build on these findings to identify clinical and school-based mental health protective factors for adolescents with high ACE risk.

Authors & Co-authors:  Raney Weinstein Ganson Testa Jackson Pantell Glidden Brindis Nagata

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations :  Racine N, McArthur BA, Cooke JE, Eirich R, Zhu J, Madigan S. Global prevalence of depressive and anxiety symptoms in children and adolescents during COVID-19: a meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatr. 2021;175(11):1142-1150. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.2482
Authors :  9
Identifiers
Doi : e242076
SSN : 2574-3805
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Adolescent
Other Terms
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
United States