COVID-19 school closures and mental health of adolescent students: Evidence from rural Mozambique

Feliciano Chimbutane, Catalina Herrera-Almanza, Naureen Karachiwalla, Carlos Lauchande, Jessica Leight

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, entailing widespread school closures as well as acute disruptions to household livelihoods, had substantial consequences for adolescent well-being in low-income countries. We present novel evidence about the prevalence of mental health challenges among adolescent students in rural Mozambique using data from an in-person survey conducted in 105 schools in 2021, immediately following the post-pandemic school reopening. In our sample, 31% of students reported low levels of well-being (though only 10% suffer from high anxiety): students enrolled in schools that used a wider variety of distance learning measures and who had more robust social networks reported lower anxiety, while students who experienced household-level disruptions linked to the pandemic reported higher anxiety and lower well-being.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article number100203
JournalSSM - Mental Health
Volume3
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2023

Keywords

  • Adolescents
  • COVID-19
  • Mental health
  • School closures

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Psychology (miscellaneous)
  • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)

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