The impact of the fear of COVID-19 on stress levels and anxiety and depression symptoms in adolescents

Journal title MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA
Author/s Maria Giuseppina Bartolo, Anna Lisa Palermiti, Rocco Servidio, Flaviana Tenuta, Francesco Craig, Angela Costabile
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/2
Language Italian Pages 16 P. 47-62 File size 243 KB
DOI 10.3280/MAL2021-002004
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The COVID-19 pandemic poses a threat to the adolescents’ mental health and psychologi-cal well-being because of the impact of social distancing measures. The study aimed to ana-lyze the levels of fear of COVID-19, stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms as well as the impact of depression on psychological well-being during the first Italian national lock-down among a sample of Italian adolescents. An anonymous online questionnaire was administered to a sample of 345 adolescents (aged 15-19 years). The results confirm that fear of COVID-19 was positively associated with stress and anxiety symptoms. Anxiety mediated the relationship between depression and stress. These results highlight the im-portance of implementing specific supporting programs for the promotion of psychological well-being in adolescents.

Keywords: adolescents; stress; anxiety; depression; well-being; fear of COVID-19

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Maria Giuseppina Bartolo, Anna Lisa Palermiti, Rocco Servidio, Flaviana Tenuta, Francesco Craig, Angela Costabile, L’impatto della paura da COVID-19 sui livelli di stress e sui sintomi di ansia e depressione in adolescenti in "MALTRATTAMENTO E ABUSO ALL’INFANZIA" 2/2021, pp 47-62, DOI: 10.3280/MAL2021-002004