The Influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of Adolescents in Kochi: A Cross-sectional Study

Pages: 256-260
George Joseph Thoundayil and Lucila O. Bance (Department of Psychology, Graduate School, University of Santo Tomas, España, Manila, Philippines)

The COVID-19 pandemic has disturbed adolescents’ mental health adversely than any other age group because of the quarantine and lockdown measures imposed. This study used a cross-sectional design to investigate adolescents’ mental health from 9 schools in Kochi city and urban areas, Ernakulam, Kerala, in March 2021. The total number of respondents were 715. Among them 375 (52.44%) girls and 340 (47.55%) were boys, and 263 (36.78%) participants were from rural area and 452 (63.21%) were from urban areas. DASS-21 was used as a mental health indicator. The demographic data of the respondents were also considered. The result of the present study reveals the general occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress among adolescents at 64.19%, 75.24%, and 69.45%.