Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of the younger generation: A review

Abstract

The World Health Organization declared COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic in March 2020. It had opened doors to several issues that were never envisaged. The global economy and the health equilibrium were disturbed. This review systematically assesses and compiles the literature describing the influence of COVID-19 on the psychological or mental health of the younger generation. Databases such as PubMed, SCOPUS and Google Scholar were searched electronically for relevant data. The results indicate that the mental health of the younger generation was affected to a large extent. The school and college students had to adapt to the new way of online education. COVID-19 had affected childhood, family dynamics and students' lives in schools and colleges. It increased the number of domestic violence cases, which had severe effects on the mental health status of the younger generation.

Keywords

• adolescents
• children
• covid-19
• mental health
• youth