Socioeconomic inequality in online home schooling in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic predicts adolescent mental wellbeing one year later

Socioeconomic vulnerabilities put adolescents at risk to be disproportionally hit by the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental wellbeing. In the present longitudinal online survey study, we explored changes in mental wellbeing (i.e., mood and life satisfaction) throughout the pandemic. We specifically examined how socioeconomic inequality in online home schooling and self-efficacy in the early phase of the pandemic predicted adolescents’ mental wellbeing one year later, as well as feelings of uncertainty about the future. In total, 177 Dutch-speaking adolescents aged 10 – 18 years (Mage = 15.64, SDage = 1.72, 80% females at T1) participated in all three waves (T1= May 2020, T2 = November 2020, T3 = May 2021). Mood results demonstrated that feelings of vigor decreased between T1 and T2, whereas feelings of tension and depression increased throughout the pandemic. Socioeconomic inequality in online home schooling in the early phase of the pandemic predicted lower life satisfaction (but not mood) one year later and this effect was mediated by feelings of uncertainty about the future. Self-efficacy did not buffer these mediational effects. In conclusion, the present findings show differential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental wellbeing in adolescents, which may outlast the pandemic. These novel findings highlight the importance of prioritizing the disentanglement of systematic barriers, like socioeconomic inequality, when promoting wellbeing among youth during crises.