Psychological Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown among Adolescents

Saravanan S.

Professor and HOD, Mental Health Nursing Department, Sri Gokulam College of Nursing, Salem, Tamilnadu. (Affliated to TN. DR. MGR. Medical University, Chennai, TNNMC, Chennai and INC, New Delhi.)

*Corresponding Author E-mail: saravanan.oml7@yahoo.co.in, saravanan7@rocketmail.com

ABSTRACT:

Introduction: Quarantines and lockdowns are the type of social restrictions and isolation that cause many adverse effects including psychological aspects for anyone who experienced. Aim: Determine the level of psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescents. Methods: Descriptive design was adopted. 100 adolescents were selected by convenience sampling technique. Self administered questionnaire was prepared to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown. The data analyzed by descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The study findings revealed that, the adolescents doesn’t have the major psychological impact like Depression (79%), anxiety (78%) and stress (99%), during the Covid-19 Lockdown. The all three domains of Psychological impact (depression, anxiety and stress) having a positive relationships within them. There is significant association found between the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown with their age, years of study with level of depression. Exposure to COVID-19 infectionand parents belongs to frontline health worker were got associated with anxiety. There is no significant association found with stress and selected demographic variables. Conclusion: The COVID-19 Lockdown has been found no any major impact of Psychological health among selected adolescents. Hence it need further research on different settings. Implications for practice: Mental Health nurses have responsibilities to identify the psychological health among adolescents at pandemic/lockdown period.

KEYWORDS: Psychological impact, Covid-19 Lockdown, Adolescents, Depression, Anxiety, Stress.

INTRODUCTION:

After the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) in March 2020, to contain the spread of this infection, nations across the globe have adopted various measures including nationwide lockdown, school closures, online lectures, and postponement of elective procedures. This has led to a psychological changes on various populations. The psychosocial impact of the pandemic and the social isolation are innumerable, including sleep problems, depressive and anxiety symptoms, worsening of preexisting psychiatric symptoms, etc.

Some authors have even proposed a silver lining to the closure of schools and home confinement, such as delay in initiation of substance use and higher opportunity for the parents to bond with their children.¹

The COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has brought about a sense of fear and anxiety around the globe. Quarantines and lockdowns are states of isolation that are psychologically distressing and unpleasant for anyone who experiences them.³ This phenomenon has led to short term as well as long term psychosocial and mental health effects for children and adolescents. The quality and magnitude of impact on minors is determined by many vulnerability factors like developmental age, educational status, pre-existing mental health condition, being economically underprivileged or being quarantined due to infection or fear of infection⁴.

Adolescents are not indifferent to the significant psychological impact of the COVID- 19 lockdown. They experience fears and uncertainties substantial changes to their routines, Physical and social isolation alongside. High level of parental stress, understanding their emotions and responses is important to address their needs during the pandemic.

In the adolescent population, the mid and long-term effects of a lockdown due to health crises have been described, such as, an increase of post-traumatic stress disorders, a lower mood, a higher level of anxiety, poor concentration, insomnia and increased irritability and it has been concluded that these effects can be wide-ranging and long-lasting. However, studies on children and adolescents are still scarce. Children and adolescents with a mental illness, particularly, female children and individuals with a depressive disorder, are at an increased risk of suffering from pandemic-associated psychological distress.²

Hence the researcher decided to conduct a study to determine the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescents. The objectives of the study is to assess the level of psychological impact (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescents, to find the relationship between the domains of Psychological impact (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) of COVID-19 Lockdown among adolescents and to find out the association between the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown and their selected demographic variables.

MATERIAL AND METHODS:

The research design adopted was descriptive research design. The sample size was 100 and it was selected by non probability convenience sampling technique at selected nursing college. A self administered questionnaire was prepared to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescent, which consist of two sections. Section I consist of 14 items to find out the demographic variables, Section II consist of 21 questions to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown among adolescent.

The informed consent and assent were obtained before collecting data. The data collected were analyzed by both descriptive and inferential statistics. Chi-Square test was used to find out the association between the level of psychological impact of COVID-19 lockdown and their demographic variable.

RESULTS:

The study findings revealed that the maximum 48(48%) students were belongs to the age group of 19 years, 88(88%) students are female, 59(59%) were studying first year, 47(47%) of students fathers were high school educated, 42(42%) of students Mothers were educated upto high school.

Majority of students 51(51%) have coolie as their occupation of fathers, 59(59%) have home maker as their occupation of mothers, 58(58%) students monthly income is <60,000, 63(63%) were living in rural area, 95(95%) students were not exposed to COVID-19 infection, 58(58%) students were received partial dose vaccination, 81(81%) students were have confirmed /suspected cases around them, 87(87%) students Parent’s were not working as a frontline health workers, 57(57%) students were getting source of information on COVID-19 by television/radio.

Regarding the Psychological impact, the adolescent’s doesn’t have any major impact on them. About depression, maximum 79(79%) students are not having any symptoms of depression, 15(15%) students are mild, 5(5%) students are moderate and 1(1%) student was having severe level of depression. Regarding anxiety level, maximum 78(78%) students are normal, 11(11%) students are mild, 8(8%) students are moderate and 1(1%) student having severe level of anxiety. Regarding stress level, maximum 99(99%), students are normal and only 1(1%) student is having mild form of stress.

The table 1 shows that, there is positive relationship was found between the all three domains (Depression, Anxiety and Stress) of Psychological impact.

Table: 1 Relationship between the domains of Psychological Impact (Depression, Anxiety and Stress)

DEPRESSION					ANXIETY					R Value
No Depression	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	No Anxiety	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	R Value
79	15	5	1	0	78	11	8	1	0	0.6488
STRESS					ANXIETY					R Value
No Stress	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	No Anxiety	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	R Value
99	1	0	0	0	78	11	8	1	0	0.6872
DEPRESSION					STRESS					R Value
No Depression	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	No Stress	Mild	Moderate	Severe	Very severe	R Value
79	15	5	1	0	99	1	0	0	0	0.8313

Table:2 Association between the psychological impact and their selected demographic variables among adolescents. N=100

S. No.	Demographic Variables	DEPRESSION			ANXIETY			STRESS
S. No.	Demographic Variables	Df	χ²	Table values	df	χ²	Table values	Df	χ²	Table Values
1	Gender	4	6.85	9.488	4	3.318	9.488	4	0.204	9.488
2	Age in years	12	37.139*	21.026	12	1.773	21.026	12	0.951	21.026
3	Year of study	4	18.167*	9.488	4	1.601	9.488	4	1.515	9.488
4	Fathers education level	16	9.181	26.296	16	22.498	26.296	16	3.277	26.296
5	Mothers education level	16	3.491	26.296	16	35.292	26.296	16	1.25	26.296
6	Fathers occupation	16	3.845	26.296	16	16.345	26.296	16	6.543	26.296
7	Mothers occupation	16	3.9238	26.296	16	18.325	26.296	16	4.83	26.296
8	Annual Income	12	14.446	21.026	12	3.437	21.026	12	0.699	21.026
9	Place of living	8	3.8242	15.507	8	11.742	15.507	8	2.816	15.507
10	Exposure to COVID -19 Infection	4	1.153	9.488	4	12.034*	9.488	4	0	9.488
11	Status of COVID – 19 Vaccine	8	2.826	15.507	8	5.085	15.507	8	3.321	15.507
12	Any confirmed / suspected cases with COVID-19 around you	4	3.833	9.488	4	6.977	9.488	4	0.195	9.488
13	Parents of Frontline health workers	4	0.306	9.488	4	11.361*	9.488	4	0.087	9.488
14	Source of information on COVID-19	12	2.057	21.026	12	4.183	21.026	12	0.7	21.026

*Significant at P Value ≤0.05

The table-2 shows that, there was a significant association found between age in years, year of study in Depression at P≤0.05 level. There was significant association found between Exposure to COVID -19 infection, parents frontline health worker in Anxiety, at P ≤0.05 level.

CONCLUSION:

COVID-19 lockdown doesn’t bring any major changes in terms of psychological among the selected populations, and it require further research to extend the study among the various populations and different settings.

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Received on 14.04.2023 Modified on 27.05.2023

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research. 2023; 11(4):290-292.

DOI: 10.52711/2454-2660.2023.00065