Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic
Purpose: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has severely affected mental health. This study aimed to examine the patterns and differences in mental and behavioral health in adolescents across distinct pandemic phases. Methods: Data for a total of 278,989 adolescents from the KYRBS, covering the p...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Acta Psychologica |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005360 |
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| author | Seojung Kim SuHyuk Chi Boram Chae Jongha Lee |
| author_facet | Seojung Kim SuHyuk Chi Boram Chae Jongha Lee |
| author_sort | Seojung Kim |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Purpose: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has severely affected mental health. This study aimed to examine the patterns and differences in mental and behavioral health in adolescents across distinct pandemic phases. Methods: Data for a total of 278,989 adolescents from the KYRBS, covering the pre-pandemic (2018–2019), during-pandemic (2020−2021), and post-pandemic (2022) periods, were analyzed. Subgroups were compared based on sex, age, and socioeconomic status. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine temporal changes in perceived stress, sleep recovery, and physical activity during the pandemic period. Results: The proportion of adolescents who reported feelings of perceived stress within the last 12 months exhibited a slight decline at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a rebound, and subsequently showed a marked increase in the post-pandemic period. Female and high-school students consistently exhibited high-stress levels across all time points, and adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds reported persistently high stress with minimal fluctuation. Discussion: The findings highlighted the unequal impact of the pandemic on different adolescent populations, suggesting the need for targeted mental health support and recovery strategies. This study underscores the importance of understanding subgroup variations in order to effectively address the long-term effects of global crises on the mental health of adolescents. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1409b4b0418b4f4eb073dedb2e03288e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 0001-6918 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Acta Psychologica |
| spelling | doaj-art-1409b4b0418b4f4eb073dedb2e03288e2025-08-20T03:08:17ZengElsevierActa Psychologica0001-69182025-08-0125810522310.1016/j.actpsy.2025.105223Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemicSeojung Kim0SuHyuk Chi1Boram Chae2Jongha Lee3Department of Education, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital, Seoul, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Gyunggi-do, Republic of KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Gyunggi-do, Republic of Korea; Corresponding author at: Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, 123, Jeokgeum-ro, Danwon-gu, Ansan-si, Gyeonggi-do 15355, Republic of Korea.Purpose: The coronavirus disease-2019 pandemic has severely affected mental health. This study aimed to examine the patterns and differences in mental and behavioral health in adolescents across distinct pandemic phases. Methods: Data for a total of 278,989 adolescents from the KYRBS, covering the pre-pandemic (2018–2019), during-pandemic (2020−2021), and post-pandemic (2022) periods, were analyzed. Subgroups were compared based on sex, age, and socioeconomic status. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to examine temporal changes in perceived stress, sleep recovery, and physical activity during the pandemic period. Results: The proportion of adolescents who reported feelings of perceived stress within the last 12 months exhibited a slight decline at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, followed by a rebound, and subsequently showed a marked increase in the post-pandemic period. Female and high-school students consistently exhibited high-stress levels across all time points, and adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds reported persistently high stress with minimal fluctuation. Discussion: The findings highlighted the unequal impact of the pandemic on different adolescent populations, suggesting the need for targeted mental health support and recovery strategies. This study underscores the importance of understanding subgroup variations in order to effectively address the long-term effects of global crises on the mental health of adolescents.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005360COVID-19Mental healthAdolescentsStressLifestyle habitsKYRBS |
| spellingShingle | Seojung Kim SuHyuk Chi Boram Chae Jongha Lee Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic Acta Psychologica COVID-19 Mental health Adolescents Stress Lifestyle habits KYRBS |
| title | Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full | Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_fullStr | Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_short | Mental health trends of Korean adolescents before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic |
| title_sort | mental health trends of korean adolescents before during and after the covid 19 pandemic |
| topic | COVID-19 Mental health Adolescents Stress Lifestyle habits KYRBS |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691825005360 |
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