According to a study that was published in the journal The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a long-lasting effect on adolescents mental health and substance use.

The studys findings are based on survey responses from a countrywide sample of more than 64,000 adolescents aged 13 to 18 from North America and Iceland who were evaluated before and up to two years after the pandemic.

Within a year following the COVID-19 pandemic′s global spread, researchers from Columbia University in the US discovered a rise in decline in mental well-being among teenagers of 13–18-years of age.

The researchers reported that the initial decline in cigarette and e-cigarette use that was seen soon after the pandemic′s introduction persisted for up to two years. Adolescent alcohol use, however, appeared to be recovering to pre-pandemic levels.

Social support provided by the parents and sufficient sleep for upto  8 hours or more each night greatly improved mental health and substance use in adolescents. It was less obvious how immigration status and place of residence were related to teenage mental health.

These results imply that all adolescents, are affected to some degree by stress exposure, much like the COVID-19 pandemic and policymakers should take into account implementing extensive evidence-based prevention efforts to help good mental health.

(Source:https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/health/covid-pandemic-had-long-lasting-impact-on-teens-mental-health-substance-use-lancet-study-488253)