A recent study conducted in northern Norway has highlighted a notable decline in resilience among children and adolescents during the pandemic. Researchers found that resilience, the ability to cope positively with adversity, was significantly impacted when young people faced bullying, harassment, and the effects of pandemic lockdowns. The study, carried out by Steinar Thorvaldsen and colleagues from UiT The Arctic University of Norway, aimed to explore the resilience factors that help young people adapt despite difficult circumstances. The findings were published in the Scandinavian Journal of Psychology.

The research involved 2,211 participants aged 9 to 16, collected across two time points – 2017 and 2021. The pandemic period added an extra layer of stress to many young lives, affecting their mental health and capacity for resilience. The study found that before the pandemic, 77.2% of participants who experienced bullying or harassment showed resilience. However, this figure dropped to 61.7% during the pandemic.

The study used tools like the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the KINDL quality-of-life questionnaire to identify which factors contributed most to resilience. Before the pandemic, important resilience factors included a supportive school environment, emotional well-being, and positive friendships. However, the dynamics changed during the lockdown period. Emotional well-being became a stronger predictor of resilience, whereas the role of school as a supportive environment diminished, and friendships were no longer significant in predicting resilience.

The pandemic’s disruption of normal school routines and reduced in-person interactions likely contributed to these shifts. Many children lost access to the daily stability that school environments and in-person interactions with peers had provided in earlier years as a result of lockdowns and school closures.

The findings have important implications for supporting young people facing adversity. The significant drop in resilience highlights the need for targeted interventions that adapt to the changing challenges young people face in times of crisis. Emotional support and ensuring stability in their environment are crucial, particularly when traditional support systems, like schools, face disruptions.

The study suggests that families, educators, and policymakers should be proactive in recognising the changing needs of children and adolescents in periods of heightened stress. Emotional well-being, which became a more prominent factor during the pandemic, should be a primary focus of support initiatives.

By understanding the evolving factors that contribute to resilience, interventions can be more effectively tailored to strengthen young people’s ability to cope with adversity, even in challenging times like a pandemic.