Science News

Article originally written by Jenny Xu ’27.

Covid 19– a time in our lives when we felt the most hopeless and the most confused. People were locked in their houses, unable to physically interact with anyone who wasn’t in their household. Students stayed at home staring at a screen for hours on end, while teachers tried with no avail to replicate real and interactive learning through a Zoom screen. However, along with everything else that comes with a pandemic, premature aging in teens came with it, too.

Premature aging in teenagers during the pandemic stemmed from the lack of social connections with friends and the ability to seek mental health services at such a crucial time. Public health professionals worried that the shutdown of schools and social gatherings would have lasting effects on the mental health of adolescents, and it proved to be so. Human touch is crucial in releasing stress-fighting hormones such as serotonin and oxytocin, which can drastically improve mental health. When scientists first commenced the study, their goal was to scan teenagers’ brains to see how their brains develop over time. However, what they found proved to be even more interesting. So what did the researchers do? After their study restarted 10 months later, the researchers realized they could compare images of teen brains before the pandemic with images of teen brains after the pandemic to see whether normal development continued during the pandemic’s disruption. In a small study supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), researchers found that teen brains looked as though they had aged an average of about 3 years during only 10 months of the pandemic. This effect mirrors what is known to happen to teen brains after they are exposed to extremely traumatic events. These traumatic events can blatantly trigger PTSD. 

The study revealed alarming changes in both the mental health and brain structures of adolescents following pandemic shutdowns. Teens reported increased anxiety, depression, and internalization of problems compared to pre-pandemic levels. Brain scans showed significant differences in the thickness of brain regions responsible for memory, emotion regulation, and executive functions, with the cortex exhibiting thinning while the hippocampus and amygdala displayed increased thickness. Notably, the brains of teens who experienced 10 months of pandemic shutdowns aged approximately 3 years prematurely, resembling changes observed in adolescents exposed to adverse environments such as violence and neglect. Premature aging of the brain in response to pandemic-related stressors may have long-term implications for mental health outcomes and overall well-being.

As the world continues to cope with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, understanding its impact on adolescent mental health and brain development is important. Right now, the teens are our foreseeable future. The findings from this research offer valuable insights into the challenges faced by teens during these times and underscore the importance of prioritizing their well-being in the post-pandemic era. Moving forward, targeted interventions and support systems are important to minimize the effects of the pandemic on adolescent health and ensure a brighter future for the next generation.

Sources:

Cover Image: Do screen time rules still apply in lockdown?
https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200414-do-screen-time-rules-still-apply-in-lockdown