Adolescents’ Motivations to Engage in Social Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Associations with Mental and Social Health
Open accessAbstract
Purpose Reducing the spread of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic prompted recommendations for individuals to socially distance. Little is known about the extent to which youth are socially distancing, what motivations underlie their social distancing, and how these motivations are connected with amount of social distancing, mental health, and social health. Using a large sample of adolescents from across the United States, this study examined adolescents' motivations for social distancing, their engagement in social distancing, and their mental and social health.Methods Data were collected on March 29th and 30th, 2020, two weeks after COVID-19 was declared a national emergency in the United States. The sample consisted of 683 adolescents recruited using social media. A series of multiple linear regressions examined unique associations among adolescents' motivations to engage in social distancing, perceived amount of social distancing, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, burdensomeness, and belongingness.Results Almost all respondents (98.1%) reported engaging in at least a little social distancing. The most commonly reported motivations for social distancing concerned social responsibility and not wanting others to get sick. Motivations concerning state or city lockdowns, parental rules, and social responsibility were associated with greater social distancing, whereas motivations concerning no alternatives were associated with less social distancing. Specific motivations for social distancing were differentially associated with adolescents' anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, burdensomeness, and belongingness.Conclusions Understanding adolescents' motivations to engage in social distancing may inform strategies to increase social distancing engagement, reduce pathogen transmission, and identify individual differences in mental and social health during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Included studies demonstrated selection bias and gender and demographic bias, which limited the generalizability of the findings.
“The included studies also demonstrated selection bias [29,31] and gender and demographic bias, which limited the generalizability of the findings [20].”
From Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
In Limitations and future directions, the paper says participants who self-selected through social media may be prone to selection bias. It also says the sample was primarily white and female, which may limit generalizability. The citing sentence presents these possible limitations as demonstrated bias and an established limit on generalizability. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredThe COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the emotional and behavioral experience of children and adolescents.
“on the COVID‑19 pandemic reported that the current pandemic has significantly affected the emotional and behavioral experience of children and adolescents [22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34].”
From Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Discussion (page not supplied) says the pandemic had unprecedented effects on adolescents’ daily lives and reports associations between social-distancing behavior and mental-health symptoms. But the study examined U.S. adolescents aged 13–18, not younger children, and its associations do not establish that the pandemic caused significant emotional and behavioral changes. (LLM, conf=0.84)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDepression and anxiety were higher among children and adolescents in other pandemics, and specifically COVID-19.
“Depression and anxiety were higher among children and adolescents in other pandemics, and specifically COVID‑19 [22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34].”
From Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Discussion reports greater anxiety or depressive symptoms among adolescents with certain motivations for social distancing during COVID-19. It does not show that depression and anxiety were higher among children and adolescents overall during COVID-19, or provide evidence about other pandemics; its comparisons are between motivation groups, not pandemic and non-pandemic periods. The indexed passages have no page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.82)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredLifestyle transformation such as school closure, physical distancing, quarantine, isolation, and the threat of being infected is associated with depression and anxiety disorders among children and adolescents.
“Seven studies reported that lifestyle transformation such as school closure, physical distancing, quarantine, isolation, and the threat of being infected is associated with depression and anxiety disorders among children and adolescents [18,21,24,25,29,30,34].”
From Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results (page not provided) link some adolescents’ reasons for social distancing—including avoiding personal illness—to anxiety or depressive symptoms. They found no association between the degree of social distancing and mental-health indicators, and did not establish the claimed associations for school closure, quarantine, or isolation. The study measured symptoms, not diagnoses of depression or anxiety disorders. (LLM, conf=0.87)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredDepression and anxiety disorders are associated with school closure, physical-distancing measures, and increased time online during pandemics.
“Because depression and anxiety disorders are associated with the closure of schools, physical-distancing measures, and the increased time that children and adolescents spend online during pandemics [18,21,24,25,29,30,34], delivering informative educational materials through online media will give adolescents an opportunity to utilize their online hours productively by staying well-informed.”
From Mental Health of Children and Adolescents Amidst COVID-19 and Past Pandemics: A Rapid Systematic Review (2021) · cites this paper as [29]
The Results (page unavailable) associate some adolescents’ motivations for social distancing with anxiety or depressive symptoms, but find no association between the degree of distancing and mental-health indicators. The paper does not link depression or anxiety disorders to school closures or increased time online; it measured symptoms, not diagnosed disorders. (LLM, conf=0.86)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
Four studies provided no or inadequate information on their sampling strategy.
“four studies provided no or inadequate information on their sampling strategy [41,42,43,44].”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
One study investigated the relationship of belongingness with mental health outcomes.
“one study investigated the relationship of belongingness with mental health outcomes [42]”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Adolescents who engaged in social distancing to protect themselves from getting sick and to avoid social judgement reported greater anxiety symptoms.
“One study found that adolescents who engaged in social distancing to protect themselves from getting sick and to avoid social judgement reported greater anxiety symptoms.”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Feelings of greater belongingness were associated with engaging in social distancing as a result of parental enforcement of rules.
“Feelings of greater belongingness were associated with engaging in social distancing as a result of parental enforcement of rules [42].”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Four studies reported mean scores of anxiety using Likert-point scales, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety.
“Four studies reported mean scores of anxiety using Likert-point scales, with higher scores indicating higher levels of anxiety [35,38,42,43]”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Adolescents who engaged in social distancing due to peer pressure reported greater depressive symptoms.
“However, those who engaged in social distancing due to peer pressure reported greater depressive symptoms [42].”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
No age differences were reported in the two studies focused exclusively on adolescent samples.
“No age differences were reported in the two studies focused exclusively on adolescent samples [39,42].”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Motivation to engage in social distancing due to complying to parental or governmental rules was not associated with any mental health outcome.
“Notably, motivation to engage in social distancing due to complying to parental or governmental rules was not associated with any mental health outcome.”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Of the four studies that examined gender differences in young people under 18 years of age, differences were evident in two studies.
“Of the four studies that examined gender differences in young people under 18 years of age, differences were evident in two studies [36,42]”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Two other studies that focused on adolescent samples reported no age differences.
“Two other studies that focused on adolescent samples reported no age differences [39,42].”
From Exploring the Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health Outcomes in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review (2020) · cites this paper as [42]
Social interactions with peers contribute to adolescents' social health, creating a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of burdensomeness on others, and these factors are essential for interpersonal needs.
“Additionally, social interactions with peers contribute to adolescents’ social health, creating a sense of belonging and reducing feelings of burdensomeness on others. These factors are essential for interpersonal needs [38].”
From A Qualitative Study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland (2021) · cites this paper as [38]
For adolescents, the risk of psychiatric disorders is complicated by how hormonal and neurobiological changes correspond to increased emotional reactivity and continual development of stress regulation and coping strategies.
“For adolescents, this risk is complicated by how hormonal and neurobiological changes correspond to increased emotional reactivity and continual development of stress regulation and coping strategies [38].”
From A Qualitative Study of Child and Adolescent Mental Health during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ireland (2021) · cites this paper as [38]
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- Authors
- Oosterhoff, B., Palmer, C. A., Wilson, J., & Shook, N.
- Affiliations
- Montana State University (US)
- West Virginia University (US)
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Corresponding author
- Oosterhoff, Benjamin
- Venue
- Journal of Adolescent Health
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2020-08
- Volume
- 67
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 179-185
- ISSN
- 1054-139X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7205689
- OpenAlex
- W3021512959
- Cited by
- 480
- References
- 25
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 29 · 2024: 29 · 2023: 79 · 2022: 126 · 2021: 148 · 2020: 64
- FWCI
- 41.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Journal of Adolescent Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion, public-domain)
- PsyArXiv (OSF Preprints) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Montana State University
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › COVID-19 and Mental Health
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › COVID-19 Prevention and Impact
- Social Sciences › Communication › Communication and COVID-19 Impact
- Keywords
- social distancing, COVID-19 pandemic, adolescents, motivation, mental health, social health, anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, perceived burdensomeness, sense of belonging, social responsibility, parental rules, lockdown
- MeSH terms
- COVID-19, Adolescent, Adolescent Behavior, Mental Disorders, Female, Humans, Male, Motivation, Pneumonia, Viral, Social Isolation, United States, Coronavirus Infections, Pandemics
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