When the world shut down following the COVID-19 pandemic, it was met with pervasive feelings of grief, confusion, and panic. Our lives stopped, our plans got thrown to the wayside, our social time became determined by the strength of our internet connection, and we lost loved ones — as well as our sense of security.
Although the damage felt during this time was ubiquitous, the pandemic particularly inhibited adolescents and their developing brains. The importance of socializing with peers, creating formative life experiences, and in-person learning was stripped away from teenagers as emphasis on public safety took priority. While the immediate danger and concern of contracting an unknown, novel virus has subsided, the impact of COVID-19 on teen depression and anxiety are still showing symptoms today.
Here’s how challenges that emerged during isolation continue to shape the mental health development of teenagers, long after lockdowns have ended.
Evidence and Signs of Impaired Teen Mental Health in a Post-COVID World
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 30% of adolescents said the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health 1. Furthermore, data from 2024 shows that 42% of teen respondents persistently feel sad or hopeless 2. Compare that to 2018, where 37% of teens reported experiencing feelings of sadness or hopelessness 3.
These statistics paint a concerning picture: today’s adolescents are navigating multifaceted mental health challenges at a higher rate than those of pre-pandemic levels. With that in mind, here’s some warning signs to look out for that may indicate your teenager is still feeling the isolating impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on their mental health.
Warning signs parents, educators, and clinicians can recognize
The ages 12 to 17 are a fundamentally transformative time in life where young peoples’ brains are developing and life experiences shape their emerging identity. However, it’s also a time that poses serious risk for developing depression and anxiety as teenagers’ are particularly emotionally reactive and face pressure to perform academically, build their social group, and form their understanding of who they are.
Some important warning signs that may indicate your child, student, or patient has teen depression or teen anxiety in a post-pandemic world include:
- Expressing existential concerns, worries about the future, or anxiety about their physical health.
- Academic struggles such as drop in grades, absenteeism, tardiness, coping through perfectionism, disengagement, or loss of motivation.
- Sleep disorders or disruption, tiredness, or fatigue — despite adequate rest.
- Complaints of physical discomfort like headaches, stomachaches, or chronic pain.
- Withdrawal or self-isolating from family and peers, or frequent time spent on technology.
- Fluctuating mood, irritability, or disinterest in activities that once brought joy.
While temporary stress or sadness in response to social pressures, expectations, and significant life events is a normal part of adolescent development, anxiety and depression are distinguished by their persistence beyond these environmental triggers, often causing prolonged distress that interferes with daily functioning.
Disparities in impact across demographics
In general, people across all socioeconomic groups felt the impact of the pandemic on their mental health, but some subsections of the population felt it more than others. Teens from disadvantaged backgrounds and communities tended to have higher levels of emotional distress in the years following the lockdown.
Additionally, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) published research showing that victims of bullying in schools are on the rise compared to pre-pandemic levels — from 15% to 19% — but female and LGBTQ+ students are bullied at disproportionately higher rates 4. These concerning trends regarding the mental health of marginalized communities can be attributed to inequitable access to healthcare, technology, and various support systems — a trend that is observed even outside the context of COVID-19.
Related: Back to School Season and Mental Health
Pandemic-Specific Factors That Impacted Teen Mental Health
As previously stated, teenagers are particularly susceptible to developing a mental health disorder. However, the conditions experienced during the pandemic amplified these vulnerabilities.
Here are some pandemic-specific factors that may have contributed to poor mental health in the adolescent population.
Grief, loss, and trauma responses
As COVID-19 spread through communities, claiming the lives of loved ones, infecting the population, and causing isolation via social distancing, youth mental health was a casualty that soon followed. Teens were bombarded with daunting daily news reports, from rising death counts and widespread panic to mass unemployment and supply chain disruptions. Constant exposure to grim media coverage can have a profound impact on adolescents’ mental health as their sense of safety diminished and uncertainty about the future became more potent. Additionally, teens who experienced the loss of a loved one likely had to navigate a difficult grieving process that created a profound confrontation with mortality.
Disruption of normal development and rites of passage
Adolescence is a pivotal time in life as your identity begins to form, you learn how to socialize with your peers, and you make decisions that can have a lasting impact. When this was disrupted by school closures and social distancing, it interrupted these developmental milestones. During this time, many school-aged children’s ability to learn social cues, manage conflict and emotions, and communicate in-person was stunted. The result was increased feelings of isolation, decreased self-worth, and impaired emotional intelligence.
Many teens not only grieved the loss of loved ones to COVID-19, but the loss of experiencing crucial rites of passage. Graduations, proms, sports seasons, and live performances were either experienced through a screen or cancelled altogether — a devastating reality for high school students that had looked forward to these moments for years. Teens found themselves with little to look forward to, which impacted mental health, increased tendencies to isolate, and yielded long-term hopelessness for those in this key developmental window.
Heightened family stress and household dynamics
The pandemic cultivated fertile ground for family stress to grow, and teens were forced to witness — and subsequently absorb — parental anxiety and stress as their normal escape of attending school and social outings could no longer be enjoyed. Now, stressors that had previously occurred behind the scenes — such as economic anxiety, food insecurity, toxic familiar conflict, or domestic violence — took center stage with adolescents bearing witness in the front row.
From birth, children pick up on social cues and emotional signs from their parents, and this doesn’t change as they develop. Depression, anxiety, negative energy, and conflict is often unintentionally transferred from parents to their children in some form.
Social distancing exacerbated this reality and provided little separation or time to decompress from these hardships. Additionally, being stuck in a house drastically limited privacy and promoted feelings of stagnation and being trapped at a time when teens are seeking independence and freedom. These household stress factors can compound and create perfect conditions for teen depression or anxiety to emerge, and can even increase the risk of child abuse.
Digital overload and screen time explosion
Studies indicate that excessive screen time is linked to an increase in anxiety and depression. What’s unique about this impact in regards to the conditions experienced during the pandemic is that screen time became nearly unavoidable, as online classes, video calls with friends, and binge-watching TV shows became regular occurrences.
Other factors include social media use, which skyrocketed during lockdown, leading to increases in anxiety and depression among adolescents, and excessive screen time paved the way for feelings of low self-worth, isolation, and poor attention span. Additionally, the blurred boundaries between online education and recreational screen time made it harder to create pockets of relaxation through disconnecting from the internet.
Some of the side effects of prolonged screen time include:
- Sleep disruption or decreased quality of sleep.
- Reduced physical activity and time spent in natural light.
- Eye strain, dry eyes, and headaches.
- Body pain or discomfort from laying in one spot or hunching over in a chair.
At a time when the brain is malleable, normalization of excessive screen time subconsciously taught many teenagers unhealthy technology habits — an effect that’s still felt today.
Disruption of educational structures and learning environments
Remote learning models took a toll on academic performance — a phenomenon that’s supported by research that shows students learn best in person 5. Classes like biology or chemistry often utilize instruments or equipment in lesson plans to create memorable demonstrations that effectively teach students. However, this dynamic learning model was nearly impossible in the virtual classroom, and academic performance declined as lessons didn’t resonate and students became disinterested.
Social isolation and peer relationship changes
Peer relationships and developing friendships are important for teenage development. Without this formative experience, adolescents often experience increased rates of social anxiety and struggle to connect with people in face-to-face interactions. The impact of prolonged isolation has lasting effects, as social-emotional development takes time to develop and works similar to a muscle, requiring constant exercise to strengthen it.
Related: What Parents Need to Know About Depression in College Students
Treatment Options for Post-Pandemic Teen Mental Health
Your teen doesn’t have to white knuckle their mental health problems without support — there are several therapeutic and holistic approaches that can enhance mental health. These include:
- Adolescent psychiatry, which provides a judgment-free and confidential space for teens to discuss pandemic-related struggles.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with a focus on helping teens understand the connection between negative isolation-related self-talk and how it affects social anxiety and interpersonal connections.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to teach teens healthy coping mechanisms for stress and complex emotions that emerged during lockdown isolation.
- Medication or antidepressants for when teen depression and anxiety doesn’t respond to therapy.
- Transcranial magnetic therapy (TMS) is an in-person mental health treatment that is now more accessible due to lifted lockdown restrictions.
Remember, these just scratch the surface of potential care approaches for your teen, and the most effective treatment plan will encompass a range of therapy types and approaches to comprehensively address adolescent mental health issues.
Providing Hope for Post-Pandemic Teen Mental Health
Post-pandemic studies reveal that teen mental health still remains lower compared to pre-pandemic levels. However, there is hope.
The CDC published a 2023 study that showed adolescent feelings of sadness or loneliness are actually slightly decreasing when compared to 2021 surveys 6. Although this reality differs from person to person, this data indicates that teenage psychological distress is not perpetual or an insurmountable problem. With the right treatment approach and understanding of what your child is going through, emotional resilience and psychological flourishing is possible.
Five years have passed since the pandemic first shut down the world, and many people feel like they are all still getting their footing back. You or your teen don’t need to do it alone — a mental health professional can guide and support your mental well-being as you rediscover the ideal version of yourself.
Related: TMS for Adolescents
How Neuro Wellness Spa Can Treat Adolescent Mental Health in a Post-Pandemic World
At Neuro Wellness Spa, we have a compassionate and well-informed care team of mental health professionals that can support mental health-related needs. Our mental health services are specifically tailored to the individual and evolve as your needs change. If your teen is still feeling the residual effects of grief, trauma, or stress experienced during the COVID-19 lockdown, check out our adolescent psychiatry service that specifically targets teen-related issues in a format that’s tailored to resonate with young people. We also offer DBT, CBT, and medication management.
In addition, we offer talk therapy and TMS therapy to treat your mental health concerns. If your teen requires more intensive hands-on care — such as addiction treatment for substance use — Clear Behavioral Health is a sister brand that provides quality care and support. If the pandemic has negatively affected you or your teen’s mental health, reach out to Neuro Wellness Spa today. We’d be happy to provide you with the tools needed to heal and progress.
References
- Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC). (2023, June 27). Coping through crisis: COVID-19 pandemic experiences and adolescent mental health and well-being in the WHO European Region. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people’s health and well-being from the findings of the HBSC survey round 2021/2022. https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2023-7680-47447-69735
- Compass Health Center. (2025, March 17). Teen Mental Health Facts and Statistics 2024 | Compass Health Center. Compass Health Center. https://compasshealthcenter.net/blog/teen-mental-health-statistics/
- Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US). (2022, October 1). CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH. 2022 National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report – NCBI Bookshelf. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK587174/
- CDC data show improvements in youth mental health but need for safer and more supportive schools. (n.d.). CDC Newsroom. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0806-youth-mental-health.html
- Burke, C. (2025, February 20). Online vs In-Person Classes: Is one better than the other? Unity Environmental University. https://unity.edu/articles/online-vs-in-person-classes/
- CDC data show improvements in youth mental health but need for safer and more supportive schools. (n.d.). CDC Newsroom. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2024/p0806-youth-mental-health.html