May 9, 2020

expert reaction to initial research findings on the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of young people aged 13 to 24 in the UK

Researchers, from the University of Sheffield, have produced a report into the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of young people aged 13 to 24 in the UK.

Prof Dame Til Wykes, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation, Institute of Psychiatry Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, said:

“Younger people breaking the rules isn’t too much of a surprise and as the lockdown continues we need to make sure that we provide clear and accurate advice with a focus on the responsibility of everyone for spreading this virus. We achieved reductions in smoking and less risky behaviour during the Aids epidemic so we know how to be successful.

“We need to know more about the households that young people are living in so we can target communication to just the people who have less supportive environments. That means young people living alone and those young people who do not have much support at home. Both these groups are likely to search for more face to face communication.

“Increased anxiety and depression has been found in China too. The crucial questions are how long this lasts and what support young people need for the world to feel safe and more predictable. This requires a public health approach not necessarily a rush to a mental health service. Being anxious when we are facing so much uncertainty and a loss of social support is pretty normal. But this can have a serious impact on those with pre-existing mental health problems and some will certainly need some formal psychological treatment.”

‘Initial research findings on the impact of COVID-19 on the well-being of young people aged 13 to 24 in the UK’ by Levita et al.

All our previous output on this subject can be seen at this weblink: www.sciencemediacentre.org/tag/covid-19

Declared interests

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