A nationwide study of adolescent psychosocial well-being one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract ]The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically restricted adolescents’ lives. We used nationwide Norwegian survey data collected from 2014–2021 (N = 227,258; ages 13–18) to address three essential questions: What are the psychosocial consequences of the pandemic? Are disadvantaged adolescents disproportionally affected by the pandemic? Do pandemic effects vary with geographical variations in infection rates and restrictions? Multilevel models revealed higher depressive symptoms and lower optimism during the pandemic than before the pandemic, even when accounting for the measures’ time trends. Further, alcohol and cannabis use decreased, and screen time increased. Social relationships and conduct problems remained stable. Girls, younger adolescents, and adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds were disproportionally affected by the pandemic. The pandemic’s effects varied little with municipality infection rates and restrictions. These findings can inform means and interventions to reduce negative pandemic effects and identify groups that need particular attention during and after the pandemic.