Portuguese adolescents' perception of the Covid-19 pandemic: Gender differences and relation with psychopathological symptoms

ABSTRACT

The Covid-19 pandemic is having a great impact on people's mental health all over the world. Adolescents have been facing several potential stressors. The aim of this study was to explore how Portuguese adolescents were perceiving the Covid-19 outbreak and the relationship between the perceived impact of the pandemic and mental health. Participants were 130 adolescents (97 girls) who completed online questionnaires about the Covid-19 pandemic and the DASS-21. Around 73% of the adolescents agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic affected their lives and 45% felt emotionally affected. Feeling uncomfortable around family during quarantine was correlated with depression (r = .39), anxiety (r = .44), and stress symptoms (r = .37), and feeling capable to deal with the pandemic was negatively correlated with psychopathological symptoms. Girls seemed to be more emotionally affected. Results revealed the negative effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on Portuguese adolescents' mental health. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Portuguese) A pandemia de Covid-19 esta a ter um grande impacto na saude mental das pessoas em todo o mundo. Os adolescentes tem enfrentado diversos potenciais stressores. O objectivo deste estudo foi explorar como os adolescentes portugueses percecionaram o surto do Covid-19 e a relacao entre o impacto percebido da pandemia e a saude mental. Os participantes foram 130 adolescentes (97 do sexo feminino) que responderam a questionarios online sobre a pandemia de Covid-19 e DASS-21. Cerca de 73% dos adolescentes concordaram que a pandemia afectou as suas vidas e 45% sentiu-se emocionalmente afectado. Sentir-se desconfortavel perto da familia durante a quarentena mostrou-se correlacionado com sintomas de depressao (r = .39), ansiedade (r = .44) e stress (r = .37) e sentir-se capaz de lidar com a pandemia esteve negativamente correlacionado com sintomas psicopatologicos. Adolescentes do sexo feminino pareceram ficar mais emocionalmente afectadas. Esses resultados apontam para o efeito negativo da pandemia de Covid-19 na saude mental dos adolescentes portugueses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La pandemia de Covid-19 esta teniendo un gran impacto en la salud mental de las personas. Los adolescentes se han enfrentado a varios posibles estresores. El objetivo de este estudio fue explorar como los adolescentes portugueses percibieron el brote de Covid-19 y la relacion entre el impacto percibido de la pandemia y la salud mental. Los participantes fueron 130 adolescentes (97 mujeres) que respondieron cuestionarios online sobre la pandemia Covid-19 y DASS-21. 73% de los adolescentes estuvo de acuerdo en que la pandemia de Covid-19 afecto sus vidas y el 45% se sintio emocionalmente afectado. Sentirse incomodo con la familia durante la cuarentena se correlaciono con sintomas de depresion (r = .39), ansiedad (r = .44) y estres (r = .37), y sentirse capaz de lidiar con la pandemia se correlaciono negativamente con los sintomas psicopatologicos. Las adolescentes parecian estar mas emocionalmente afectadas. Estos resultados apuntan al efecto negativo de la pandemia Covid-19 en la salud mental de los adolescentes portugueses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)