[{"command":"openDialog","selector":"#drupal-modal","settings":null,"data":"\u003Cdiv id=\u0022republish_modal_form\u0022\u003E\u003Cform class=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form ecl-form\u0022 data-drupal-selector=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 action=\u0022\/en\/article\/modal\/9172\u0022 method=\u0022post\u0022 id=\u0022modal-form-example-modal-form\u0022 accept-charset=\u0022UTF-8\u0022\u003E\u003Cp\u003EHorizon articles can be republished for free under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EYou must give appropriate credit. We ask you to do this by:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 1) Using the original journalist\u0027s byline\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 2) Linking back to our original story\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n 3) Using the following text in the footer: This article was originally published in \u003Ca href=\u0027#\u0027\u003EHorizon, the EU Research and Innovation magazine\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003ESee our full republication guidelines \u003Ca href=\u0027\/horizon-magazine\/republish-our-stories\u0027\u003Ehere\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cp\u003EHTML for this article, including the attribution and page view counter, is below:\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cdiv class=\u0022js-form-item form-item js-form-type-textarea form-item-body-content js-form-item-body-content ecl-form-group ecl-form-group--text-area form-no-label ecl-u-mv-m\u0022\u003E\n \n\u003Cdiv\u003E\n \u003Ctextarea data-drupal-selector=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 aria-describedby=\u0022edit-body-content--description\u0022 id=\u0022edit-body-content\u0022 name=\u0022body_content\u0022 rows=\u00225\u0022 cols=\u002260\u0022 class=\u0022form-textarea ecl-text-area\u0022\u003E\u003Ch2\u003EThe Covid generation: the effects of the pandemic on youth mental health\u003C\/h2\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EAgainst a decade-long pattern of deteriorating mental health among European youths, experts warn the Covid-19 pandemic made everything worse. Numerous studies observed sharp increases in rates of depression, anxiety, loneliness, and suicide attempts.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Before the pandemic we had about 10-20% of children suffering from mental illness problems, not all of whom progressed to an impairment,\u2019 said Dr Nina Heinrichs, professor at the Department of Psychology at the University of Bremen. \u2018Now, from the last 2 years, it looks like it\u2019ll go up to 20-25%.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ENevertheless, mental illness is notoriously difficult to assess in young people. According to Prof. Heinrichs, who is on the executive board of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/779318\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003ERISE\u003C\/a\u003E research project, which focusses on the prevention of child mental health problems, it is the externalised behaviours \u2013 of an aggressive, oppositional type \u2013 that are easiest to observe and get the most attention. Yet most youngsters do not misbehave, and instead hide their feelings. Internalised feelings, such as those that worsened during the pandemic, can be difficult to observe and are easily overlooked.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThis means the reported rates of mental health problems among European young people are probably an underestimate. This can cause problems down the line. Prof. Heinrichs explained that \u2018feeling blue\u2019 can sometimes develop into full-blown disorders.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA daily measure of adolescents\u2019 mood\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EStudying the development of prosocial behaviour in adolescence since 2016, a group of researchers in the Netherlands could not ignore the impact of the pandemic. Under the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/681632\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EPROSOCIAL\u003C\/a\u003E project, they sent daily questionnaires to more than 600 adolescents in Rotterdam asking them about their mood and daily experiences. The results showed that as the pandemic wore on, rates of tension increased while vigour decreased. These trends did not ease even during respites from lockdowns and other restrictions, for example over summer.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EBefore the pandemic we had about 10-20% of children suffering from mental illness problems, not all of whom progressed to an impairment. Now, from the last two years, it looks like it\u2019ll go up to 20-25%.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EDr Nina Heinrichs, coordinator of RISE\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018We see in periods of disaster that the socio-economic inequalities that already exist in society enlarge,\u2019 said \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/ec.europa.eu\/jrc\/en\/euwomen4future\/eveline-crone\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EEveline Crone\u003C\/a\u003E, professor of Developmental Neuroscience in Society at Erasmus University Rotterdam. As the coordinator of PROSOCIAL, she explained why. \u2018Children who are already advantaged in terms of being in good schools or having parental support, they don\u2019t suffer that much during homeschooling. Children who are dependent on the schools for their personal growth get hit the hardest.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe pattern is clear across Europe and beyond: families and communities that were already economically disadvantaged suffered the effects of Covid worse.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGrowing up in lockdown\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018COVID lockdowns have forced families to live together, often in small homes, for long periods,\u2019 said Lucie Cluver, professor at Oxford University, UK, \u0026nbsp;and coordinator of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/771468\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EHEY BABY\u003C\/a\u003E project, which aims to assess resilience-promoting pathways for families. \u0026nbsp;Prof. Cluver said this has created enormous stresses for families, \u2018on top of Covid\u2019s economic effects including reduced income and job losses.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHEY BABY also revealed a related global increase in family violence, including partner violence and violence towards children. All this compounds the child mental illness problems directly, and via increases in cyber-bullying.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003ESchools, apart from their educational benefits, provide students with a refuge from family dramas, routine, activities, and sense of community. The closure of schools disrupted or ended these supports for students and parents.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EInstead, students faced homeschooling, and many families have struggled with that too. Homeschooling at a minimum requires a quiet room and computer access, resources that some households cannot easily provide, especially if they are crowded. Homeschooling is more effective when parents supervise and are available for questions, yet unfortunately this is not always possible.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EA silver lining\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EMany might expect stressed, unsupported youths to express their frustrations destructively. \u2018We definitely did observe that young people developed more negative feelings during the pandemic,\u2019 said Prof. Crone. \u2018But on the other hand, we observed a need to give support to friends. This increased as the pandemic went on. We refer to these as pro-social experiences, because they are social acts directed towards the benefit of others.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EPROSOCIAL also examined how young people directed help towards friends and family. Youths aged 18-25 reported more prosocial experiences towards their families, while experiences towards friends peaked in the 15-17 age group. These findings were unrelated to socio-economic factors. PROSOCIAL researchers also observed that helping others was associated with an increase in vigour, showing that giving help is a basic need for adolescents.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018One of the biggest misunderstandings of adolescence is that it\u2019s only a time of trouble,\u2019 continued Prof. Crone. \u2018Of course, there are some tensions in every family \u2026 but the idea that all adolescents develop into inconsiderate risk-takers is a misunderstanding.\u2019 Although most young people show a reward-sensitivity, only about 10-15% get into trouble with excessively risky behaviours. Troubled youngsters often get most of the attention, yet PROSOCIAL\u2019s results indicate that most adolescents develop into socially considerate and committed young people who feel an innate need to contribute.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe PROSOCIAL team discovered that the same region of the brain corresponding to personal rewards (the ventral striatum) is also activated by helping others. This led to a new understanding of the adolescent brain as being ripe for social learning opportunities, and that providing opportunities for youths to help others is vital for their development.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cblockquote class=\u0022tw-text-center tw-text-blue tw-font-bold tw-text-2xl lg:tw-w-1\/2 tw-border-2 tw-border-blue tw-p-12 tw-my-8 lg:tw-m-12 lg:tw--ml-16 tw-float-left\u0022\u003E\n \u003Cspan class=\u0022tw-text-5xl tw-rotate-180\u0022\u003E\u201c\u003C\/span\u003E\n \u003Cp class=\u0022tw-font-serif tw-italic\u0022\u003EWe definitely did observe that young people developed more negative feelings during the pandemic. But on the other hand, we observed a need to give support to friends. This increased as the pandemic went on. We refer to these as pro-social experiences because they are social acts directed towards the benefit of others.\r\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n \u003Cfooter\u003E\n \u003Ccite class=\u0022tw-not-italic tw-font-normal tw-text-sm tw-text-black\u0022\u003EProfessor Eveline Crone, coordinator of PROSOCIAL\u003C\/cite\u003E\n \u003C\/footer\u003E\n\u003C\/blockquote\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u2018Prosocial opportunities help adolescents to see the perspectives of others and give them good feelings as well,\u2019 said Prof. Crone. \u2018We all have a fundamental need to be part of the group and to matter to others around us, but this is particularly enlarged during adolescence. Helping others feels good.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETips and songs for families\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EPeople need support to cope with stressful times. The right support for young people and their families can make a huge difference.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EHEY BABY and RISE worked together, co-leading a Covid parenting emergency response in conjunction with \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.who.int\/teams\/social-determinants-of-health\/parenting-for-lifelong-health\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EParenting for Lifelong Health\u003C\/a\u003E, an initiative with the World Health Organization and UNICEF, and the European Commission.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EDr Jamie Lachman, senior researcher and teaching fellow at Oxford University,\u0026nbsp;co-led the collaboration with Prof. Cluver.\u0026nbsp;\u0027Funding from the European Research Council and other partners was essential in allowing us to rapidly respond to the situation, and build an interagency collaboration that endorsed and supported the dissemination of parenting resources on a global level,\u0027 said Lachman. The results formed the basis of the \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.covid19parenting.com\/#\/home\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Etips for families\u003C\/a\u003E. The tips have been delivered to 210 million people in 198 countries and territories worldwide and have been used by 33 national governments including many in Europe. The advice has even been adapted into a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/youtu.be\/j1ShU5pwpaQ\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Esong\u003C\/a\u003E by a team of Broadway composers and producers. The tips cover spending quality time with children, praising them for behaving well, parents saying what behaviour they want, creating routines, sensitively handling misbehaviour and supporting families experiencing illness and bereavement from Covid-19. The tips also help parents take care of themselves.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EProf. Cluver summarised one of the simplest and most useful parenting tactics. \u2018When you want to scream or throw something, try to take a moment and count to 10, breathing in and out slowly. If you can get into a different room, great; if not, look away for a moment. Just give yourself a chance to calm down before you say or do anything. It can really help.\u2019\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EYoung people need advice too. Esteban de Manuel Keenoy is Director of the Institute for Health Services Research in Spain, and coordinator of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/cordis.europa.eu\/project\/id\/754919\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003EUPRIGHT\u003C\/a\u003E project. He spearheaded a collective team response to Horizon\u2019s questions. The group said that resilience can be taught, but also that it is vitally important youngsters are taught this before they encounter serious problems. This would allow children and adolescents to thrive better in most situations and to avoid the development of mental illness as a response to stressful events.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EUPRIGHT examined the teaching of resilience, including the roles of families and schools. Not surprisingly, the study concluded that families or primary caregivers play the main role in emotional education. Families that provide a safe and nurturing environment are best for developing confidence, inner strength, and self-esteem. Yet schools play a vital role too, especially since the ages of schooling are the ideal developmental period to acquire such important life skills.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe UPRIGHT team designed an \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/uprightprogram.eu\/\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003Eintervention\u003C\/a\u003E programme where the entire communities of 17 schools from five countries were trained in both personal and community resilience skills. Also, 22 school communities served as control to compare the effectiveness of the intervention. Together, these taught 18 mental-health skills across four broad categories (coping, efficacy, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning) as a subject separate from the normal school curriculum.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe group that participated in the programme reversed the trend of deteriorating youth mental health observed during the pandemic, improving almost to pre-pandemic levels.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EA downward trend in youth mental health is not hopeless. Although young people generally have little control over their situation, many have nevertheless stepped up to the challenge, coping with Covid themselves by helping others cope. This, combined with making resilience training a normal part of school life, and providing opportunities to contribute, can bring significant developmental changes that protect against mental illness. Supporting young people helps everyone.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\n\u003Cp\u003EThe research in this article was funded by the EU. 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