Changes in family and school environment during the Covid-19 pandemic and their relationship with changes in psychological distress and loneliness among Norwegian adolescents: The HUNT study

TL;DR

This study found that Norwegian adolescents experienced increased psychological distress and loneliness during the pandemic, linked to worsening family and school environments.

Contribution

The study reveals that changes in family and school environments during the pandemic were associated with mental health declines, especially in families with lower parental education.

Findings

Psychological distress and loneliness increased among Norwegian adolescents during the pandemic.

Deteriorations in family cohesion, teacher support, and peer support were weakly linked to increased distress and loneliness.

Family cohesion changes were more strongly tied to distress in adolescents from low-educated families.

Abstract

In this follow-up study, we investigated how levels of psychological distress, loneliness, family cohesion, teacher support, and peer support changed from before to during the Covid-19 pandemic among Norwegian adolescents (ages 13–19), and whether these changes were predicted by parental education. Additionally, we investigated whether changes in family cohesion, teacher support, and peer support were associated with changes in psychological distress and loneliness, and whether these change-to-change associations were moderated by parental education. Data from the Young-HUNT4 (2017–2019, T1) and Young-HUNT COVID (May–June 2021, T2) surveys were used, in which 1565 adolescents participated in both (response rate = 45%). We specified univariate and multivariate two-wave latent change score models to investigate the aims of this study. Results indicated that levels of psychological distress, loneliness, family cohesion, teacher support, and peer support worsened from T1 to T2. None of these changes were significantly predicted by parental level of education. Deteriorations in family cohesion, teacher support, and peer support were weakly related to increases in psychological distress (β = 0.17, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.11 to 0.23; β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.16; β = 0.09, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.15), and loneliness (β = 0.10, 95% CI 0.05 to 0.15; β = 0.08, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.13; β = 0.12, 95% CI 0.06 to 0.18). Although largely similar, deteriorations in family cohesion were somewhat more strongly associated with increases in psychological distress among adolescents with parents of lower levels of education.

•Psychological distress and loneliness increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.•Perceptions of family and school worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.•Parental level of education did not predict change in these measures.•Deteriorations in family and school linked to increased distress and loneliness.•Change in family cohesion more strongly tied to distress in low-educated families.

Psychological distress and loneliness increased during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Perceptions of family and school worsened during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Parental level of education did not predict change in these measures.

Deteriorations in family and school linked to increased distress and loneliness.

Change in family cohesion more strongly tied to distress in low-educated families.

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