Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham B15 2TT, UK.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Dec 30;19(1):352. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19010352.
There is increasing evidence of the psychological impact of COVID-19 on various population groups, with concern particularly focused on young people's mental health. However, few papers have engaged with the views of young people themselves. We present findings from a study into young people's discussions on social media about the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health. Real-time, multi-platform online ethnography was used to collect social media posts by young people in the United Kingdom (UK), March 2020-March 2021, 1033 original posts and 13,860 associated comments were analysed thematically. Mental health difficulties that were described as arising from, or exacerbated by, school closures, lost opportunities or fraught family environments included depression, anxiety and suicidality. Yet, some also described improvements to their mental health, away from prior stressors, such as school. Young people also recounted anxiety at the ramifications of the virus on others. The complexities of the psychological impact of COVID-19 on young people, and how this impact is situated in their pre-existing social worlds, need recognising. Forging appropriate support necessitates looking beyond an individualised conceptualisation of young people's mental health that sets this apart from broader societal concerns. Instead, both research and practice need to take a systemic approach, recognising young people's societal belonging and social contexts.
越来越多的证据表明，COVID-19 对不同人群的心理产生了影响，特别是对年轻人的心理健康的关注。然而，很少有论文涉及到年轻人自己的观点。我们展示了一项研究的结果，该研究探讨了年轻人在社交媒体上对 COVID-19 对其心理健康影响的讨论。我们使用实时、多平台的在线民族志方法，收集了 2020 年 3 月至 2021 年 3 月期间英国年轻人在社交媒体上发布的内容，分析了 1033 条原始帖子和 13860 条相关评论的主题。描述为因学校关闭、失去机会或紧张的家庭环境而产生或加剧的心理健康问题包括抑郁、焦虑和自杀倾向。然而，也有人描述说，他们的心理健康状况有所改善，远离了学校等先前的压力源。年轻人还讲述了对病毒对他人影响的焦虑。需要认识到 COVID-19 对年轻人心理的影响的复杂性，以及这种影响如何在他们现有的社会环境中定位。为了提供适当的支持，需要超越将年轻人的心理健康与更广泛的社会问题分开的个体化概念化。相反，研究和实践都需要采取系统的方法，认识到年轻人的社会归属和社会背景。
