Adolescent loneliness, stress and depressive symptoms during the COVID‐19 pandemic: The protective role of friends
Open accessAbstract
The current study examines if perceived negative changes due to COVID‐19 are related to adolescent loneliness, stress and depressive symptoms and whether friendship factors (online friend communication, friend support) serve a protective role in these associations. In total, 993 adolescents (Mage = 16.09, SD = 1.24) from ethnically diverse backgrounds (49% White, 18% Asian/Asian‐American, 14% Latinx, 9% Black/African‐American, 10% Other) in the United States completed an online survey. Adolescents who perceived more negative changes due to COVID‐19 reported more loneliness, stress and depressive symptoms. For loneliness and stress, these associations were qualified by interactions with the friendship factors. Among adolescents with low online friend communication, as perceived negative changes increased, loneliness also increased. At high levels of friend communication, there was no link between negative COVID‐19 changes and loneliness. Friend communication and support may protect adolescents from well‐being problems stemming from the negative changes in their life due to COVID‐19.
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Some researchers found that loneliness did not vary by clinical status.
“Some researchers found that loneliness did not vary by clinical status (e.g., [38]) and other researchers found mixed results depending on the aspects of loneliness examined [63].”
From Loneliness and Well-Being in Children and Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review (2023) · cites this paper as [38]
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- Authors
- Espinoza, G., & Hernandez, H. L.
- Affiliations
- California State University, Fullerton (US)
- Corresponding author
- Espinoza, Guadalupe
- ORCID
- Espinoza, Guadalupe
- Venue
- Infant and Child Development
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2022-01-05
- Volume
- 31
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- e2305-e2305
- ISSN
- 1522-7219 (ISSN-L)
- 1522-7227
- PMC
- PMC9015336
- OpenAlex
- W4206673435
- Cited by
- 51
- References
- 35
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 9
- FWCI
- 10.03
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Infant and Child Development (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
- Keywords
- adolescent loneliness, stress, depressive symptoms, COVID-19 pandemic, friendship, friend support, protective factors, youth welfare
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