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The Medical, Mental, and Social Impacts on Adolescents from the COVID-19 Pandemic

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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This paper will review the impacts of the COVID pandemic on adolescents. This pandemic has had profound effects on the medical, mental, and social domains of adolescents throughout the world.

Recent Findings

Worldwide, over ten million children and adolescents lost a parent or caregiver to the disease. Remote learning, lockdowns, and other restrictions led to increases in adolescents with obesity. Rising numbers of adolescents with depression, eating disorders, or suicidal thinking flooded the emergency rooms of hospitals. Learning suffered especially in resource-limited schools. Increased social media usage led to further worries and fears of the pandemic as well as problematic internet use while displacing adolescents’ physical activities and sleep. Racism and food insecurity appeared to increase. One technological breakthrough due to the pandemic was telemedicine that allowed clinicians to establish and continue care for most adolescents.

Summary

This review examines the profound effects that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the lives of adolescents throughout the world. In particular, this paper identifies the impacts on adolescents in the medical, mental, and social realms of their lives.

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Papers of particular interest, published recently, have been highlighted as: • Of importance •• Of major importance

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Acknowledgements

Dr. Goldstein wishes to thank Dr. Karen Sadler for reviewing his manuscript.

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  1. Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Mark A. Goldstein

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  1. Mark A. Goldstein
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Correspondence to Mark A. Goldstein.

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Dr. Goldstein received no funding for writing this paper. He is editor-in-chief of Current Pediatrics Reports as well as the section editor for adolescent medicine and receives honoraria for these positions.

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Goldstein, M.A. The Medical, Mental, and Social Impacts on Adolescents from the COVID-19 Pandemic. Curr Pediatr Rep 11, 69–77 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40124-023-00290-7

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