As we go back to our semi-normal life, scientists have been questioning whether the unprecedented disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic affected young people's mental health and social abilities. Recent major world changes have caused a shift in the way that people all around the world live their lives.
For many people, hanging out with friends and family on a daily basis was a constant.
When the pandemic skyrocketed and COVID-19 cases were at a high, school and work closings and mandated quarantining caused isolation and separation from close ones. Two years of being separated from other people, and maybe even losing some loved ones, will surely affect one's life.
An article from nature.com showed that the number of people experiencing anxiety and depression in the U.S. was up by more than 30% during the lockdown. This percentage continued to increase for a while until people started to adapt.
In "‘An Unprecedented Disruption’ — How Adolescents Are Coping With the Pandemic," Sharon Hoover, co-director of the National Center for School Mental Health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine states: “It’s not surprising that we would see an impact on young people’s mental health.”
Human brains between the ages of 10 and 26 are meant to adapt to any changes that a person may endure. This might have helped many people to pass the phase of having mental breakdowns.
The ability to connect with others through social media also helped people feel like they weren't alone.
The adaptation to staying at home and not socializing face to face also caused other problems. An article from the national library of medicine concluded that in isolated populations such as soldiers, astronauts, and prisoners, their social skills can atrophy just like muscles that are not used. If you are isolated from other people for an extended period of time, you will end up feeling awkward, socially anxious, and unable to tolerate what used to feel mundane. For most people, that was the case when things started going back to normal.
To sum up, having huge changes in a person's lifestyle for a long period does affect the way they think, feel, and socialize. In the case of the lockdown, many people got symptoms of anxiety and depression. However, a variety of things helped people go through it and adapt.
