In this bachelor's thesis I explore the prevalence of psychosocial troubles of adolescents in Slovenia during the period of distance learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic and their correlation with the perception of the quality of communication and social support within the family from the perspective of adolescents.
The theoretical portion contains an overview of mental health problems, adolescence as a period of development and in the context of psychosocial issues and family, as well as the characteristics of life and mental health in the context of the coronavirus. Then follows a closer look at the theme of adolescents and their troubles in the context of the pandemic and their connection to family factors.
For the empirical portion I conducted an online survey for high school students and got 182 valid responses. The results of this quantitative study show a high prevalence of mental health problems in the target population, with the highest percentages in symptoms of depression (around 50%) and anxiety (around 40%). The analysis of the correlation between mental health problems and the perceived quality of communication and social support within the family from the perspective of adolescents shows that high school students who perceive these family traits as more positive, experience less symptoms of depression, which include a decrease in interest and enjoyment of activities, feeling sad, depressed and in despair, sleep problems, eating problems, negative self-image, concentration issues, a noticeable increase or decrease of energy levels and suicidal thoughts.
The results show many adolescents faced mental health problems, which probably means there will be an increase of demand for psychosocial help and support for this group even after the pandemic. It is important that mental health services acknowledge these needs and act accordingly, as adolescents are a vulnerable developmental group and the consequences of mental health issues in this stage can reach far into adulthood. Understanding the importance of family context for adolescents’ experience of psychosocial issues is also key – social and mental health services should organize help and support not only on the level of the adolescent, but also on the level of the family as a whole and as the sum of its individual members.
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