Longitudinal Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Research Summary

The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges for youth, disrupting education, finances, and social connections, intensifying pre-existing stressors. This study aims to explore the experiences of youth during the COVID-19 pandemic, including the impacts of COVID-19 on their mental health and wellbeing and their recommendations for government and service response.

This involved a multi-site, qualitative longitudinal study where we interviewed youth (n=141) across two Canadian provinces (British Columbia and Ontario) and Ireland during three separate timepoints during the COVID-19 pandemic. In BC, we conducted semi-structured interviews with a clinical group of youth (ages 16-24) who had accessed Foundry services in the past 12-months (n=30) and a non-clinical group of youth who had not accessed Foundry services (n=30) to understand their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their recommendations responses to pandemics and other public health emergencies.

Impact & Outputs

• Publication: The BC COVID-19 & Youth Summit Report
  

• Publication: Whyte M, O’Reilly A, Barbic S, Henderson J. Life in a Pandemic: Supporting Young People Through COVID-19 (IAYMH Conference, 2023)

• Article: Whyte M, Nichol E, Hawke LD, Wuerth K, Quinlan-Davidson M, O’Reilly A, Duffy J, Mathias S, Henderson JL, Barbic S. Supporting young people through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond: A multi-site qualitative longitudinal study. BMC Health Services Research. 2024;24(1):1266. doi: 10.1186/s12913-024-11752-z
  

Research Team

Project Details

• Funding support: Canadian Institute of Health Research
• Partners include:
  • Foundry
  • Canadian Mental Health Association
  • Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario
  • Jigsaw
• Duration of research: 2020-2024