– Oluwasevi Dolapo Somefun is postdoctoral fellow & Marisa Casale, extraordinary professor, University of the Western Cape, Australia People often depend on companionship and support from others to cope with the stresses of daily life. Social networks and support are linked to better mental and physical wellbeing. These networks are particularly important in adolescence — the period between childhood and adulthood. This is when peers become an important part of life and have greater impact, while parental supervision usually decreases. But Covid-19 disrupted this social interaction. Lockdowns, school closures, social distancing and self-isolation have kept young people apart. The need to maintain physical distance conflicts with adolescents’ natural desire to connect with friends and with other important people in their lives. This disconnection may deepen the loneliness that’s been growing among young people in Africa and beyond. It can also deprive young people of various kinds of support. These include tangible support with items such as food or medicines, emotional support and guidance, and social protection provided by schools. Social distancing measures affect people differently. But it is especially important to focus on adolescents because this is a life stage characterised by anxiety and uncertainty. They struggle more with the absence of structure and disruption in their usual routine. Over the years we’ve done research looking at the role of social support for adolescent development and mental outcomes. We gained insights into the stress-buffering effects of social networks among adolescents. For example, we’ve found that adolescents who perceived they had a high degree of social support in their communities appeared to be more resilient than their peers. Having a social support system in place also had a positive impact on their mental health. Lockdown-associated risks The pandemic has changed the way people of all ages interact and socialise. This is likely to have lasting effects. The ‘social effects’ of Covid-19 come with particular risks for young people’s mental health. Recent research has highlighted how loneliness and disease containment efforts among adolescents might lead to post-traumatic stress and mental health problems — even in later years. Specific groups of young people are especially vulnerable. These include adolescents who are exposed to domestic violence in their homes. So are learners who depend on the protection they get at school. Then there are adolescents with pre-existing mental health conditions, socialisation or learning difficulties, whose counselling and support systems may have been interrupted. The family environment is critical for adolescents, especially now when many young people are likely to be confined to their homes more than usual. But this is a stressful time for caregivers and adults too. It may be hard for them to be empathetic, listen to adolescents and pick up worrying changes in behaviour. But help is available. One such programme is the Parenting for Lifelong Health project. The programme helps to improve parenting skills by building social support for parents, and reducing parental stress. This programme has proven to be effective and is now exploring ways to extend its reach…
