Adolescents' Experiences of Remote Schooling and Family Life during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to extensive and unprecedented periods of school closures across the world, causing students to engage in learning remotely. The current study aimed to (a) explore adolescents' experiences of remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, (b) identify psychosocial factors associated with school-related stressors, and (c) examine the relationship between adolescents' perceived school-related stressors and mental health difficulties during the pandemic. A sub-study of the Australian 18-year longitudinal Mothers' and Young People's Study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic between July and September 2020. A total of 264 adolescents (aged 14-17 years) and their mothers completed an online survey about remote learning, psychosocial stressors, and their mental health during the pandemic. Four in five adolescents reported school-related stressors during the pandemic, with the majority feeling overwhelmed and in need of more support from teachers. Factors associated with adolescents' perceptions of school-related stressors included financial hardship, stress in the family home (conflict and crowdedness), and few protective or resilience factors. Adolescents experiencing school related stressors were more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms. Adolescents with co-occurring family stress perceived more school-related stressors, reinforcing the notion that children experiencing social and economic disadvantage were disproportionately affected by school closures during the pandemic. These findings underscore the need to investigate the long-term impacts of school closures during the pandemic on adolescents' academic and mental health outcomes. A sample of 264 adolescents reported on their experiences of remote schooling, family life, and their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.Four in five adolescents reported high school-related stress, with the majority feeling overwhelmed and in need of more support from teachers.Adolescents experiencing family conflict, crowdness at home, and financial hardship reported more school-related stressors.School-related stressors were associated with high depressive and anxiety symptoms

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to extensive and unprecedented periods of school closures, causing students to engage in remote learning. This study explored adolescents' experiences of remote learning, identified psychosocial factors associated with school-related stressors, and examined the relationship between adolescents' perceived school-related stressors and mental health difficulties. The findings revealed that the majority of adolescents experienced school-related stressors, feeling overwhelmed and in need of more support. Factors such as financial hardship, family stress, and lack of protective factors were associated with higher perceptions of school-related stressors. Adolescents experiencing school-related stressors were more likely to report depressive and anxiety symptoms. Additionally, those experiencing family stress perceived more school-related stressors, indicating that disadvantaged children were disproportionately affected by school closures. These findings emphasize the importance of investigating the long-term impacts of school closures on adolescents' academic and mental health outcomes.