COVID-19, social distance and adolescents' risk behaviours, wellbeing and life satisfaction: a proxy study drawn from HBSC study

Gina Tomé, Cátia Branquinho, Ana Cerqueira, Margarida Gaspar Matos
2021 Análisis y modificación de conducta  
Depriving people of their liberty has devastating effects upon wellbeing and mental health, especially in adolescents. This was the situation with the recent COVID-19 pandemic that forced adolescents to stay at home. In order to simulate a situation of absence of social interactions outside the family context, Portuguese data from the HBSC / WHO 2018 study were used. It was intended to explore and understand which of the usual adolescents' health risk and protective factors would be more
more » ... d among those who do not have contact with peers after school. The results show that, on the one hand, "social distancing from colleagues" in general reduces health risks, such as consumption of soft drinks, alcohol, tobacco and drug use and involvement in violence (fights, victimization by bullying and injuries). On the other hand, it decreases the perception of well-being and life satisfaction and in general increases the psychological symptoms.
doi:10.33776/amc.v47i175.4912 fatcat:yj2enq5ekrbibmbulapc6uw6xu