Maturation-dependent vulnerability of emotion regulation as a response to COVID-19 related stress in adolescents.
J Pediatr Nurs
; 67: 132-138, 2022.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-36116346
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
The COVID-19 pandemic created unpredictable circumstances resulting in increased psychological strain. Here we investigate pandemic-related alterations in emotion regulation in adolescents assessed before and during the pandemic. We also take biological age into account in the response to the pandemic.METHODS:
Mann-Whitney U tests were conducted to compare baseline data on the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) total scores of a pre-pandemic adolescent cohort (n = 241) with those obtained during the second wave of the pandemic (n = 266). We estimated biological age based on an ultrasonic boneage assessment procedure in a subgroup of males, including grammar school and vocational school students in the 9th and 10th grades, and analyzed their data independently.FINDINGS:
There is a gender difference in the timing of vulnerability for pandemic-related stress in grammar school students females are affected a year earlier than males. Vocational school male students mature faster than grammar school male students, and the timing of emotional vulnerability also precedes that of the grammar school students'.DISCUSSION:
We interpret our findings within a developmental model suggesting that there might be a window of highest vulnerability in adolescent emotion regulation. The timing of the window is determined by both chronological and biological age, and it is different for females and males. APPLICATION TO PRACTICE Defining the exact temporal windows of vulnerability for different adolescent cohorts allows for the timely integration of preventive actions into adolescent care to protect mental health during future chronic stressful situations.Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Regulación Emocional
/
COVID-19
Tipo de estudio:
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Adolescent
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Pediatr Nurs
Asunto de la revista:
ENFERMAGEM
/
PEDIATRIA
Año:
2022
Tipo del documento:
Article