Trajectories of mental health status during the early phase pandemic in China: A longitudinal study on adolescents living in the community with confirmed cases

Abstract

Sufficient research reports that individuals living in the community with confirmed COVID-19 cases are more likely to exhibit poor mental health condition. However, little is known about the longitudinal trajectories of mental health status among these people who are exposed to increased risk of contracting COVID-19. Using a 3-wave longitudinal survey between February and June 2020, data has been collected from 2,352 adolescents living in the community with confirmed cases. Depressive/anxiety symptoms, soc-demographic, and other psychological factors of interest (e.g., social support) were measured. Using latent growth mixture modeling, we identified two subgroups (Resistance vs. Dysfunction) of adolescents based on their depressive and anxiety symptoms. More social support and positive coping are identified as protective factors for mental health, whereas higher level of negative coping predicts unfavorable outcomes. These findings suggested that adolescents living in the community with confirmed cases of COVID-19 are a group to which researchers should pay more attention when studying the impacts of quarantine on mental health. It is also crucial to emphasize the role of social support and positive coping in planning psychological interventions for adolescents.

Keywords: Anxiety; COVID-19; Coping style; Depression; Social support.