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Keenan Gier

Prof. Pedrotti

English 1201

7 April 2021

Mental Impact of Covid on the Youth

The impact of covid has been one of the more unsettling circumstances that society has

dealt with in recent memory. The economic crash of 2008 is still fresh in the minds of many

regardless of how distant it may sound, and the damage is still visible as the next generations

attempt to move into the shoes of their parents and become homeowners, have families, and

establish careers. Fallout from events such as this come in every form from financial to physical,

but a main proponent that has the longest lasting effect for most is the strain that this can place

on the status of their mental health. For those that manage anxiety and depression disorders in

their daily lives outside of a pandemic are increasingly at risk for a scenario in which their

symptoms worsen. Anxiety and depression are an issue in and of themselves for the youth, but

the friction between leaving recently normal lives behind and adjusting to a world with a new

normal must be addressed before the effect becomes a mainstay.

The emotional response toward everyday activities for youth with anxiety disorders is a

fundamental thing to understand before we can grasp how covid is affecting them daily and will

continue to affect them once it is a memory. According to Herres, approximately 10 to 20% of

youth report anxiety related symptoms that impair multiple ways of functioning (Herres 1).

These youth have been shown to have difficulty regulating emotions that have a negative

component, but Herres explains that there is very little empirical data that can show how youths

react daily to such events and due to the importance of this, the study was undertaken (Herres 1).
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The difficulties that anxiety disorders or symptoms present to emotional regulation extend into a

person’s ability to cope, adapt, and functionally represent or express those emotions. Herres

highlights that in some cases these symptoms can occur at such high levels that they are simply

tied into what is called Negative Affect Syndrome. Due to this, the study has shown that youth

with anxiety disorders or increased symptoms show negative emotional responses at a much

more frequent and higher level than those without (Herres 2). This information is paramount to

understanding how a person would react to the information that is being shown to them when it

comes to the pandemic. The average teen that does not suffer from an anxiety disorder may look

to their parents or their peers as a source of indication on how to react, but a person with a

anxious reaction will have a heightened response of fight or flight to any bit of information that

they are shown regarding Covid.

This study was done with measuring not only the negative emotional reaction to events

but the reaction to positive events as well. For the sake of this examination of what anxiety is and

how it affects the youth, the focus will be on the reaction toward negative emotions and the

positive will be left to serve as a sidenote for the end.

The procedure for participants was for them to complete a diary survey Monday through

Thursday every week. These surveys began after their second session where they were taught

how to recognize and better identify the emotions that they were feeling (Herres 4-5). The

surveys measured emotional responses throughout the day and what events were correspondingly

being reacted to, whether they were positive of negative moments. These results compiled to

show that there was a correlation that less complications with anxiety in situations of parental

and social interactions, or academic results, acted as a precursor to continued positive reactions

and even an increase in positive events occurring. It even showed the same correlation was found
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on the negative side of the spectrum with participants that experienced more symptoms of

anxiety and issues in life reporting negative reactions to events and a continued trend with a

decrease in positive interactions as stated before (Herres 11). However, youth that showed

increased negative reactions to events, when positive events did occur there was an increase in

the positive reaction; this shows the struggle that emotional regulation causes and the type of

waxing and waning between positive and negative emotions in higher degrees that results from it

(Herres 10-11).

This data and information is to be used as a base in regards to how this paper will define

anxiety in youth and why it is imperative that the proper discussions and structuring is taking

place during the pandemic to ensure that the effect is not long lasting on the way the youth

navigate future social interactions and daily life.

With the daily regulation of those that suffer from anxiety disorders and increased

symptoms being vulnerable to a continued correlation and trend of reactionary patterns, it is a

prevalent question to ask about the impact that this may have on depression; especially when

examining the daily life during covid and the isolation that has come with it.

A study conducted by Chad Ebesutani et al, examined the factor of loneliness and the

affect that it has as a connecting link between anxiety and depression. It is shown that anxiety

disorders typically lead into depressive disorders and have a co-occurrence. The theory is that the

damage that anxiety can have on developing proper social skills and the ability to interact with

peers creates an isolation in which a person begins avoiding social interaction, creating the

loneliness which then has a residual affect that triggers depression (Ebesutani 2). This co-

occurring depressive response to loneliness or isolation is an unfortunate bi-product of the

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pandemic for many, regardless of an anxiety related comorbid that may be a predominant trigger

or link between the two.

The participants used were patients that had been referred to a residential treatment

facility and were from the grade 2nd to the 12th. Anxiety and depression levels were measured

similarly to that of the previous study spoken on, in that questionnaires were used. Loneliness

was also measured in this same fashion (Ebesutani 3) The results found were exactly what the

team hypothesized in that anxiety was found to a strong predictor for loneliness and

subsequently, loneliness was just as strong of a predictor for depressive symptoms (Ebesutani 7-

8).

This model serves as a very straightforward example of how the process would take place

and how these mind states would create a cycle that one can become stuck in (Ebesutani 6).

While the study does not attempt to state that loneliness is the only factor or link between anxiety

and depression, it is important to use these results as a warning so to speak that the isolation is a

damaging factor toward the mental health of the isolated. It must be examined in order to be

treated in the hopes of alleviate the continued progression from anxiety into depression.

Covid has placed those of society that suffer from these previously defined disorders and

mental health issues onto the frontline of a battle against them that they were otherwise able to

possibly keep mitigated or possibly had issues controlling and regulating to begin with. The

underlying issue which must be assessed and further evaluated as time continues is the PTSD
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(Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and the danger that is poses as a developing effect in the minds

of those that suffer during Covid. It is necessary to briefly examine the immediate response that

people had to the coronavirus being discovered.

Shortly after covid occurred, a study was undertaken to assess how the youth in China

had been responding to the news. Participants aged from 14 to 35 and were asked to complete

surveys that would measure their knowledge on the virus, their current mental health status in the

wake of the events that were unfolding, coping methods being used, and PTSD symptoms that

had already begun to materialize (Liang 3).

The results showed that 40.4% of participants had problems with their mental health and

14.4% of youth groups had symptoms of PTSD. It is important to note that within the results

there was an increase of PTSD symptoms and a lower recorded level of coping mechanisms in

the group that were below a junior high school level of education (Liang 4). While this study was

hastily done with these results being recorded in January 2020 and being published April 21st of

the same year, the knowledge that the initial reaction of the youth was showing symptoms of

PTSD coupled with the inability to cope in a healthy manner is the assumption that future studies

should begin with when examining the effect that covid has had.

With the reality of covid being present in society for a little over a year now, an active

social life and daily routine seems to be a distant memory. Perhaps the most unfortunate

consequence of this is the loss of daily mental stimulation for the youth in their education. Not

only are children being recorded with lower test scores on average, but some students have also

missed upwards of 10% of classes according to research done by NBC news and reported by

Erin Einhorn. Children with disabilities have suffered a drawback from the structure that is

crucial in their development. This traces back to the established picture of how emotion is
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regulated by those with anxiety and depressive disorders. There is an underlying issue that

already exists within the reactionary process, and the loss of a known routine or structure will

further disrupt and uproot this process even more.

According to a survey done between May and November of 2020, with participants aging

from 11 to 17, loneliness was ranked as the highest reason for anxiety and depression during the

lockdowns imposed by the coronavirus (Einhorn 6). This loneliness in children and teenagers is

something that was stemmed daily by their interactions with teachers and fellow students or

friends. The danger of this is the cycle of social avoidance that a person can begin to exhibit

when anxiety and depressive symptoms are paired with loneliness.

The mental health impact that has been seen in school children has been drawn parallel to

the impact of those that suffer losses to natural disasters and have a time lapse of displacement

with living situations and a steady education or presence at school becoming turbulent (Einhorn

7). With the lockdowns being infrequent and ill-defined, children are being left without the

proper tools moving forward in their education and, as Einhorn highlights, it is possible that the

adverse effects of this will be seen for years to come, subsequently branching from issues in

education to issues in behavior and personality. The more crucial of a place that a child is at with

their education, the more there is to lose in terms of the damage this will cause toward their

mental health.

An analysis that was done called “Missing in the Margins”, linked within the article,

analyzed the data of children that were entirely unable to access online school materials and

found that within those numbers were children that were in the midst of losing an entire year of

school while simultaneously suffering the drawbacks of isolation and even scarcity of access to

food. It was reported that in Washington D.C. 60% of students lacked the needed devices to
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carry out online school activities and 27% lacked the internet access entirely (Einhorn 9). The

permanent setbacks are spoken on for older students, such as though in high school, and what

this can mean for those that dropped out during this crisis due to the lack of options. These

students will see the worst consequences from this event in that there will be little to no

opportunity to catch back up and reenroll when schools begin to allow in person classes again.

Addressing these issues is paramount if we wish to see the pre-covid, post-covid world

through a clearer and healthier lens. The youth must have the upmost attention and focus for

healing, replacing, and repairing losses in whatever form that they may come in, whether they

are education losses or mental health digression and loss of normalcy within the thought and

emotional processing that is needed in daily life.

A published article by Cecil Rousseau and Diana Miconi, both Professors of Psychiatry,

gives insight into what is needed from parents, doctors, therapists, and any other parties involved

in a child’s life in order to see proper rehabilitation of the unforeseen changes brought on by the

stress of this pandemic.

The approach spoken on by Rousseau and Miconi was that of specialized care and how

there must be changes and assessment for each case. Pre-existing diagnoses of anxiety or

depression must be reexamined in order to gauge the severity that the pandemic has had on a

child. Types of therapy that were used before may not be enough or may not be the right fit in

order to fight against the new irritant (Rousseau 3). They propose a family based approach in

order to add a reassurance to the child that they are not alone and simultaneously work against

the isolation. The greatest resolution that may come of properly addressing the new issues is the

growth of a child’s ability to adapt and adopt healthy coping mechanisms in future challenges.
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The adverse of that lies in the balance as well with a neglectful approach that can quite possibly

result in a faulty approach to everyday issues outside of a major event such as this pandemic.

The new society that we find ourselves in during this pandemic will become a place in

time that we point to when future problems arise as an example of whether the new problem can

be overcome or whether we are at its whim. This is far too true for those of younger ages due to

their lessened ability to understand what they are adapting to and how that may possible. We

have already seen the model that shows anxiety and loneliness can become and create depression

issues that were not there before and exacerbate those that already were. The isolation from this

can create an invasive sense of social-avoidance that will begin to fester into further isolation

issues later in life. Schooling must be reassessed and properly re-opened with opportunity given

to those that fell behind and left due to lack of access in order to right the wrong that they suffer

the worst of an occurrence that was out of their hands and owe no responsibility to. Our walk

forward must be careful and calculated with a proper approach toward accepting that the damage

has been done and must be healed before the wound becomes infected for those among us that

are all important.

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Works Cited

Ebesutani, Chad, et al. “The Role of Loneliness in the Relationship between Anxiety and

Depression in Clinical and School-Based Youth.” Psychology in the Schools, vol. 52, no.

3, Mar. 2015, pp. 223–234. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1002/pits.21818.

Einhorn, Erin. “Covid is having a devastating impact on children — and the vaccine won't fix

everything.” NBCnews.com, Dec. 19, 2020,

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/education/covid-having-devastating-impact-children-

vaccine-won-t-fix-everything-n1251172. 11, Apr. 2021.

Herres, Joanna, et al. “Emotional Reactivity to Daily Events in Youth with Anxiety Disorders.”

Anxiety, Stress & Coping, vol. 31, no. 4, July 2018, pp. 387–401. EBSCOhost,

doi:10.1080/10615806.2018.1472492.

Liang, Leilei, et al. “The Effect of COVID-19 on Youth Mental Health.” The Psychiatric

Quarterly, vol. 91, no. 3, Sept. 2020, pp. 841–852. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1007/s11126-020-

09744-3.

Rousseau, Cécile, and Diana Miconi. “Protecting Youth Mental Health During the COVID-19

Pandemic: A Challenging Engagement and Learning Process.” Journal of the American

Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 59, no. 11, Nov. 2020, pp. 1203–1207.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.08.007.