Consequences of Social Distancing Measures: Risk and Resilience Factors in Youth

• In Event: Longitudinal Studies of Risk for and Resilience against Psychopathology during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of development characterized by dramatic shifts in social relationships and experiences, greater sensitivity to stressful life events, and heightened risk for psychopathology. The unprecedented global COVID-19 pandemic has impacted nearly all aspects of life around the world. Social experiences have been particularly impacted due to the need for social distancing measures to prevent spread of the illness. These policies may be especially harmful for adolescents, for whom peer interaction and socialization is a critical aspect of normative development. Here, we examine how COVID-19 has impacted social experiences of children and adolescents. We explore the implications of these social consequences for mental health issues and the extent to which social behaviors buffer kids from the negative mental health outcomes following COVID-19-related stress. We recruited 240 children (N=68; aged 7-10) and adolescents (N=172; aged 13-15) to participate in a battery of assessments completed by both youth and caregivers to measure COVID-19 related stress, social behaviors and experiences, and psychopathology. We designed a novel questionnaire assessing experiences related to COVID-19, including questions about health, financial, and social matters, from which we calculated a COVID-19 stress composite score. In addition, we assessed for COVID-related changes in various social behaviors (e.g., socialization) and measured social experiences in the time of COVID (e.g., feelings of isolation). Psychopathology was assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) completed by both youth and caregivers. Participants were recruited from parent studies conducted in and data collection took place during a six-week period from April – May 2020, when this area was under strict stay-at-home policies. We examined the extent to which reported social behaviors changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing measures, whether social experiences during this time were associated with psychopathology, and which social experiences buffered youth from the psychopathology following COVID-related stress. As expected, the pandemic resulted in declines in in-person socialization for both children and adolescents (p=0.024). Children and adolescents showed different patterns of digital socialization, where adolescents engaged in much higher levels of digital socialization than children (p<0.001) and maintained these high levels before and during the pandemic, whereas children showed a slight increase from in digital socialization from relatively low to moderate levels (p=0.037). Youth who reported greater declines in in-person socialization, along with decreased feelings of peer connectedness, parent support and peer support reported heightened internalizing symptoms (ps<.001). The negative effect of low peer support was especially true for adolescents (p=0.011). Importantly, reports of greater peer connectedness emerged as a protective factor buffering youth from psychopathology related to COVID-19 stressors (ps<0.05). Furthermore, maintenance of in-person socialization also buffered against COVID-stress related internalizing symptoms in children, but not for adolescents (p=0.033), which may be explained by the stress-sensitization frequently observed during adolescence. This work highlights how changes in social interaction due to COVID-19 social distancing measures may be particularly impactful during adolescence. Importantly, we identify a number of protective social factors that may help buffer youth from the deleterious effects of social deprivation.

Authors

• Alexandra M Rodman, Harvard University
  Presenting Author

• Maya L. Rosen, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Steven Kasparek, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Makeda Mayes, University of Washington
  Non-Presenting Author

• Liliana J Lengua, University of Washington
  Non-Presenting Author

• Andrew N Meltzoff, University of Washington
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katie McLaughlin, Harvard University
  Non-Presenting Author