Abstract

The coronavirus pandemic, among other challenges faced by their generation, has resulted in young people suffering from “devastating” mental health effects, according to the U.S. Surgeon General (U.S. Surgeon General, 2021). Numerous scientific and policy briefs that echo these sentiments on a global scale have also been published by the United Nations (United Nations, 2020) and the World Health Organization (WHO, 2022). Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, there were concerns about youth mental health. However, in the past two years, children and adolescents have been exposed to unprecedented events like repeated quarantine periods, school closures, broken peer relationships, COVID-19 infections, the death of loved ones, and a general sense of unpredictability in their lives. A growing body of research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a negative impact on youth mental health, in line with previous pandemics like Ebola and H1N1 influenza.