A Mixed-method Study assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on the Psychological Well-being of Adolescents from Lower-income Households in Delhi NCR

The COVID-19 pandemic brought with it several psychological challenges. There exists limited knowledge about the impact of these challenges within an India specific context with a focus on the adolescent population. This quasi-experimental quantitative and embedded qualitative study explores the effect of the pandemic on the levels of mental disorder symptom clusters and post-traumatic growth in adolescents from lower-income households in Delhi NCR. It aims to fill the existing gap using DASS 21 and PTGI and looking into the associations between mental health and COVID-19, the impact of COVID-19 on finances, social functioning, social media use and socio-demographic factors. Results found after the correlation analysis reflected that the association between the scores received for DASS 21 and PTGI suggest a low Positive Correlation. This area of work, specifically the correlation between traumatic events and Post Traumatic Growth remains under-researched. The current study supports by highlighting the positive coping mechanisms adopted by this population.