Impact of Family Environment on Social-Emotional Well-Being of Adolescents Post-Covid-19

Abstract

Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has reshaped the familial and socio-emotional development of teenagers, disrupting social unity and the educational framework in an unprecedented manner. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), India reported 526,928 confirmed Covid-19 deaths between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2021, contributing to a total of 5.94 million deaths worldwide. COVID-19 has instigated profound alterations across all spheres of life. The sudden imposition of lockdown measures on March 22, 2020, sent shockwaves through society, leading to unrest and economic turmoil. Traditional educational practices have been supplanted by e-learning methodologies. The reopening of schools post-lockdown, while relieving, poses significant challenges to the well-being of both parents and children. Parental stress, whether experienced individually or within dyadic relationships, mediates the impact of quarantine on children's behavioral and emotional welfare, with individual stress showing a more pronounced effect. Parents encountering difficulties managing quarantine exhibit heightened stress levels, exacerbating adolescent struggles. Interestingly, the well-being of families remains unaffected by their geographical risk profile, home conditions, or their relation to the aftermath of the pandemic. Moreover, the imposition of numerous new standard operating procedures adds to the strain, hindering parents' ability to sensitively attend to their children's needs. Elevated stress levels among parents often result in difficulties in recognizing and responding appropriately to their children's needs, manifesting in increased negative and aggressive behaviour among adolescents who feel misunderstood. Additionally, adolescents are generally ill-equipped to cope with the multifaceted challenges imposed by the pandemic. It is plausible that highly stressed parents may struggle to provide effective support to their children, thus inadequately addressing their concerns and fears. A study was conducted to evaluate the feasibility of assessing the impact of family dynamics on the social-emotional well-being of adolescents post-COVID-19. This study, involving 30 subjects, utilized a pre-designed questionnaire to gauge the effects among 9th-grade students from schools in South Delhi, focusing on practical and communication challenges during data collection.