Next Article in Journal
The Association between ADHD and Celiac Disease in Children
Next Article in Special Issue
Mental Well-Being during the COVID-19 Confinement among Adolescents in Catalonia: The Role of Demographic and Other COVID-Related Variables
Previous Article in Journal
Long-Term Health Associated with Small and Large for Gestational Age Births among Young Thai Adults
Previous Article in Special Issue
COVID-19 Infection in Children and Infants: Current Status on Therapies and Vaccines
 
 
Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
Journals
Children
Volume 9
Issue 6
10.3390/children9060780
children-logo
Submit to this Journal Review for this Journal Propose a Special Issue
► Article Menu

Article Menu

share Share announcement Help format_quote Cite question_answer Discuss in SciProfiles
first_page
settings
Order Article Reprints
Font Type:
Arial Georgia Verdana
Font Size:
Aa Aa Aa
Line Spacing:
Column Width:
Background:
Article

Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

by
Justine Hussong
1,*,
Eva Möhler
1,
Anna Kühn
2,
Markus Wenning
3,
Thomas Gehrke
3,4,
Holger Burckhart
5,
Ulf Richter
5,
Alexandra Nonnenmacher
5,
Michael Zemlin
6,
Thomas Lücke
3,7,
Folke Brinkmann
7,
Tobias Rothoeft
7 and
Thorsten Lehr
2
1
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Saarland University Hospital, 66421 Homburg, Germany
2
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Saarland University, 66123 Saarbrücken, Germany
3
Medical Association, Westfalen-Lippe, 48151 Münster, Germany
4
Vaccination Center, 57072 Siegen, Germany
5
School of Education and Psychology, Siegen University, 57072 Siegen, Germany
6
Department of General Pediatrics and Neonatology, Saarland University Hospital, 66421 Homburg, Germany
7
University Children’s Hospital, Ruhr University, 44791 Bochum, Germany
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Children 2022, 9(6), 780; https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060780
Submission received: 4 May 2022 / Revised: 20 May 2022 / Accepted: 24 May 2022 / Published: 25 May 2022
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Children’s Emotion and Learning during COVID-19 Pandemic)
Review Reports Versions Notes

Abstract

Evaluations after the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany showed an increase in mental health problems and a reduction in health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The aim of the study was to assess those aspects after the third wave of COVID-19 in adolescents who decided to receive a vaccination. In students aged 12–17 years recruited from schools in one German region, mental health (by the strengths and difficulties questionnaire, SDQ) and HRQoL (by KIDSCREEN-10) were assessed by both a self- and parental report. Data from 1412 adolescents (mean age 14.3 years, SD = 1.64) and 908 parents were collected. The mean self-reported HRQoL was T = 53.7 (SD = 11.2), significantly higher in boys than in girls and higher in younger (12–14 years) than in older (15–17 years) adolescents. In total, 18.7% of adolescents reported clinically relevant psychological symptoms, especially peer problems (23.5%), emotional problems (17.4%), and hyperactivity (17.1%). Comparing the present data to evaluations after the first and second waves of COVID-19, adolescents rated a higher HRQoL and reported less mental health problems after the third wave. After 1.5 years of living with the pandemic, adolescents have adapted to the changes in everyday life. Further, the relaxation of restrictions, better school organization, and the prospect of the vaccination may have increased optimism, wellbeing, and contentment, leading to declining but still alarming rates of psychological symptoms.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; mental health; emotion; psychological symptoms; quality of life; adolescents; children; vaccination COVID-19 pandemic; mental health; emotion; psychological symptoms; quality of life; adolescents; children; vaccination

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Hussong, J.; Möhler, E.; Kühn, A.; Wenning, M.; Gehrke, T.; Burckhart, H.; Richter, U.; Nonnenmacher, A.; Zemlin, M.; Lücke, T.; et al. Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Children 2022, 9, 780. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060780

AMA Style

Hussong J, Möhler E, Kühn A, Wenning M, Gehrke T, Burckhart H, Richter U, Nonnenmacher A, Zemlin M, Lücke T, et al. Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Children. 2022; 9(6):780. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060780

Chicago/Turabian Style

Hussong, Justine, Eva Möhler, Anna Kühn, Markus Wenning, Thomas Gehrke, Holger Burckhart, Ulf Richter, Alexandra Nonnenmacher, Michael Zemlin, Thomas Lücke, and et al. 2022. "Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic" Children 9, no. 6: 780. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060780

APA Style

Hussong, J., Möhler, E., Kühn, A., Wenning, M., Gehrke, T., Burckhart, H., Richter, U., Nonnenmacher, A., Zemlin, M., Lücke, T., Brinkmann, F., Rothoeft, T., & Lehr, T. (2022). Mental Health and Health-Related Quality of Life in German Adolescents after the Third Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Children, 9(6), 780. https://doi.org/10.3390/children9060780

Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

Article Metrics

Back to TopTop