Perceived stress, coping strategies, and mental health status among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic in Switzerland: a longitudinal study

This longitudinal, prospective study investigated associations between perceived COVID-19-related stress, coping strategies, and mental health status among adolescents during the first lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic and one year after the lockdown in Switzerland within a large, national sample. A self-report on-line survey was completed by 553 adolescents (age-range 12-18 years in 2021) in the summers of 2020 and 2021, assessing symptoms of various mental health problems, perceived COVID-19-related stressors, and coping strategies. Overall, participants reported less COVID-19 related stress one year after the lockdown, though mental health status remained stable. 'Challenges at home or with others' were significantly associated with mental health problems in both genders, whereas 'trouble getting medical care or mental health services 'was associated with mental health problems in girls. Perceived stress and pre-existing psychiatric problem were significantly linked to all mental health outcomes at both time points. Parents' poor relationships with partners during the lockdown was associated with increased anxiety symptoms in their children. Using cognitive restructuring to cope with stress was associated with less, while negative coping was associated with more anxiety, depression, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms one year post lockdown. Girls appear to have been more affected by the pandemic than boys, with youths with pre-existing psychiatric problems especially vulnerable to its detrimental effects. Healthcare and school professionals should support to identify high-risk adolescents with negative and avoidant coping strategies and train youths to use positive coping strategies.

Predicting Negative and Positive Affect During COVID-19: A Daily Diary Study in Youths

The COVID-19 pandemic has the potential to profoundly affect youths' mental health. Understanding predictors of affective responding to the pandemic is critical for prevention and intervention efforts. This study examines emotion regulation as an important predictor of youth's changes in positive and negative affect. The present study of 115 participants (62 girls, M_age  = 11.77) explores the relation between pre-existing emotion regulation strategies, as measured by multi-week daily diaries pre-COVID, and youths' mean positive and negative affect levels and variability during a 28-day period amidst the pandemic, while including COVID-related worries and isolation as important moderators. The findings provide important insight into interactions between pre-existing vulnerabilities and COVID-related stressors in predicting affective adjustment in youth.

Introduction to the Special Issue on Cognitive and Behavioral Flexibility in Fear and Anxiety Disorders

Converging lines of research highlight the significance of cognitive and behavioral flexibility in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of fear and anxiety disorders. We have developed a Special Issue to highlight recent empirical investigations, contemporary theory, and novel directions for future study. It is hoped that this special issue will (a) underscore the centrality of cognitive and behavioral flexibility to fear- and anxiety-related psychopathology, (b) call attention to cognitive science approaches investigating related neuropsychological correlates, and (c) highlight novel experimental and theoretical research on germane contextual factors.