Exploring the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Adolescent Well-Being from the Perspectives of Parents: A Qualitative Study

Background and Purpose: Adolescents worldwide face increasing mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression, which have only increased since the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents play a crucial role in managing and interpreting the health and well-being of their adolescents during crisis. However, little is known about their perspectives on how crises specifically affect their adolescent’s mental and physical wellness. This paper aims to explore the impact of crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, on adolescent well-being from parents’ perspectives, with a focus on mental wellness and coping strategies.

Methods: Between October 2020 and March 2021, we conducted semi-structured interviews (n=30) with participants from New York City. These participants were parents of adolescents enrolled in a study examining adolescent mental health and patterns of social connectedness during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents answered probing questions about their family experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic, including perspectives on family dynamics, their children’s social connectedness, mental wellness, and coping mechanisms. The interviews were conducted remotely via phone or video calls. We coded and analyzed the qualitative data using thematic analysis with the NVivo 12 software.

Results: Many parents were aware of their adolescents’ feelings and observed increased loneliness, anxiety, and depressive moods among them compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority indicated that their adolescents felt disconnected and struggled with a lack of motivation during the crisis. Some parents noted improvements in their adolescents’ mental health, attributing this to enhanced parental support and encouragement. The crucial role of family support in uplifting adolescent mental wellness was underscored by most parents. The transition to working from home provided an opportunity for parents to spend more time with their children, fostering closer parent-child relationships. Family organized activities as a form of parental support were helpful to adolescents experiencing mental health challenges. Regular family activities, such as baking, outdoor hiking, biking, dog walking, and playing tennis, were recognized as effective in motivating adolescents. Additionally, parents encouraged adolescents to engage with coping strategies such as reading, dancing, participating in virtual events, and practicing therapeutic techniques.

Conclusion and Implications: The study underscores the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent mental health from the perspective of parents, highlighting the important role of parent’s support in promoting adolescent well-being. Increased loneliness, anxiety, and depressive moods among adolescents highlight the urgent need for targeted interventions. Parents’ support and involvement could be a supportive mechanism in families to address the challenges of isolation and depression. These findings have significant implications for further research and practice, emphasizing the importance of empowering parents to recognize and respond effectively to their adolescents’ mental health needs within the broader context of family support. To promote adolescent well-being, social workers could develop psychoeducation for parents in creative ways to support their adolescents. Additionally, offering community-based activities for families and facilitating family-centered interventions could promote adolescents’ resilience and enhance their mental health outcomes.