About this srcd poster session

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Panel information
Panel 25. Solicited Content: COVID-19 Related

Abstract

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Loneliness amongst adolescents became increasingly prevalent during the Covid-19 pandemic, with reports of increases in loneliness and associated internalizing symptoms, and decreases in well-being (Farrell et al., 2023; Houghton et al., 2021; Loades et al., 2020; Rogers et al., 2021). Some studies suggested that poorer pre-pandemic well-being lent to more loneliness-related maladaptive outcomes for adolescents (Magson et al., 2021). Since social interactions are highly salient for adolescents and are associated with maladaptive outcomes (Houghton et al., 2021), it is important to consider what agents impact loneliness during this socially isolating period (Rogers et al., 2021). Given the increased interactions between parents and adolescents during the pandemic (Rogers et al., 2021), parental factors, including parent’s psychopathology (Dubois-Comtois et al., 2021; Stednitz & Epkins 2006), may influence behaviors and modeling of attitudes toward Covid-19, Covid-19-related stress, and adolescent social engagement.

While researchers have examined adolescent psychopathology associated with or stemming from loneliness during the pandemic, fewer have assessed this relation with pre-pandemic functioning (Thakur et al., 2022; review Branje & Morris, 2021) interacting with adolescents’ pandemic stress and parental psychopathology. It warrants the question of who with pre-pandemic psychopathology would be more susceptible to experiencing loneliness during the pandemic. Furthermore, considering adolescents are embedded in family systems, it is important to analyze the interactions of loneliness-related parent and adolescent factors.

Analyzing two models, we predicted that 1) adolescents’ pre-pandemic depressive and social anxiety symptoms, separately, would be positively associated with adolescents’ loneliness reports during the pandemic. These associations would be positively moderated by 2a) the interaction of pre-pandemic parent social anxiety and adolescents’ Covid-19-related stress and 2b) separately, pre-pandemic parental social anxiety and adolescents’ Covid-19-related stress (refer to figure 1).

Participants, as part of a larger study, were adolescents (Mage = 12.39 years, 42.7% female, 79.5% White) and a parent (91.5% female, 90.6% biological parents; Fredrick & Luebbe; Total Noriginal =113, Ncurrent = 84). Pre-pandemic, adolescents reported internalizing symptoms (Revised Children’s Anxiety and Depression Scale, depression and social anxiety sub-scales, Chorpita et al., 2000), and parents reported social anxiety (Social Interaction Anxiety Scale, Mattick & Clarke, 1998). 1 year after lockdown, adolescents reported loneliness in relationships with peers (Loneliness and Aloneness peer subscale, Marcoen et al., 1987) and Covid-19-related stress (self-developed self-report scale,1-10 rating). Meeting diagnostic criteria for internalizing symptoms was not required for inclusion. Missing data will be imputed for the poster.

Results indicated that adolescents’ Covid-19-related stress and parents’ social anxiety did not, through interaction or uniquely, moderate the association between adolescent’s pre-pandemic internalizing symptoms, and loneliness. However, pre-pandemic, adolescent depression and social anxiety, were uniquely, significantly positively associated with loneliness symptoms over and above parents’ social anxiety and adolescents’ Covid-19-related stress. Additionally, parent’s social anxiety was significantly positively associated with adolescents’ loneliness during the pandemic, over and above adolescents’ depression and anxiety scores.

Implications include better identification of adolescents with pre-pandemic psychopathology who might be susceptible to peer loneliness, loneliness intervention targets at parent and adolescent levels, and consideration of the interplay between parental and adolescent factors for Covid-19 mental health functioning.

Author information

Author	Role
Jigeesha Ghosh, Miami University	Presenting author
Joseph W. Frederick, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center	Non-presenting author
Aaron M. Luebbe, Miami University	Non-presenting author

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