Publication date: Jul 17, 2026
The objective of this follow-up study was to investigate whether changes in mental health from before and into the COVID-19 pandemic varied between girls and boys, as well as between adolescents with high and low levels of resilience. We included data from Norwegian adolescents (n = 1565, 64% girls) who participated in the Young-HUNT4 (2017-2019) and the Young-HUNT COVID (2021) surveys. We measured six dimensions of mental health using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire. The resilience factors-family cohesion, personal competence and social competence-were measured using the Resilience Scale for Adolescents. Linear mixed models were used to investigate whether change in the mental health dimensions depended on sex or level of resilience. Change in mental health appeared to differ by sex and resilience level. Specifically, girls showed greater increases in hyperactivity, emotional symptoms and total difficulties, whereas boys displayed greater increases in peer problems along with greater decreases in prosocial behaviour. Compared with adolescents with low resilience, those with high resilience demonstrated a stronger increase in emotional symptoms, peer problems and total difficulties. Adolescents with low resilience displayed a greater decrease in prosocial behaviour. A decrease in conduct problems was observed among adolescents with low resilience, which was not evident among those with high resilience. The present findings suggest that girls and boys, as well as adolescents with high and low levels of resilience, may have experienced the pandemic situation somewhat differently.
| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| adolescence | |
| COVID-19 | |
| longitudinal | |
| mental health | |
| Young-HUNT Study |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | COVID-19 pandemic |
| disease | MESH | included |