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J Sch Health. 2021 May;91(5):356-369. doi: 10.1111/josh.13007.
Concerns have been raised about the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of adolescents during an important developmental and social period in their lives. This study examines the mental health impact of the pandemic on high school students shortly after closure of public schools in spring 2020, and whether this impact varies by sex, race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status (SES), and grade level.
A cross-sectional, one-time online survey was completed by racial/ethnically and socioeconomically diverse students in 9th through 12th grade at 2 semi-rural Georgia public high schools (N = 761).
Overall, almost one-fourth of high school students were extremely or very worried about the pandemic, with higher rates of worry among students who are racial/ethnic minorities, lower SES, female and in older grades. Results indicated a concerning impact on the stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness that students are feeling, particularly among girls and those in older grades. Students of color and low SES, who are already disproportionately impacted by COVID-19, are also more likely to experience mental health challenges.
Findings highlight important demographic differences of the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of high school students and have implications for schools with addressing these needs.
在青少年生活中重要的发展和社会阶段，人们对 COVID-19 大流行对他们心理健康的影响表示担忧。本研究考察了 2020 年春季公立学校关闭后大流行对高中生心理健康的影响，以及这种影响是否因性别、种族/民族、社会经济地位（SES）和年级而有所不同。
在佐治亚州的 2 所半农村公立高中，对 9 至 12 年级的具有不同种族/民族和社会经济背景的学生进行了一次横断面、一次性在线调查（N=761）。
总体而言，近四分之一的高中生非常担心或非常担心大流行，少数民族、SES 较低、女性和高年级学生的担忧率更高。结果表明，学生们正在感受到的压力、焦虑、抑郁和孤独感受到了令人担忧的影响，尤其是女生和高年级学生。已经受到 COVID-19 不成比例影响的有色人种和 SES 较低的学生也更有可能面临心理健康挑战。
研究结果突出了 COVID-19 对高中生心理健康影响的重要人口统计学差异，对解决这些需求的学校具有重要意义。
