The current longitudinal study examines changes in overall mental health symptomatology from before to after the COVID-19 outbreak in youth from the southeastern United States as well as the potential mitigating effects of self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. A sample of 105 parent–child dyads participated in the study (49% boys; 81% European American, 1% Alaska Native/American Indian, 9% Asian/Asian American; 4% Black/African American; 4% Latinx; and 4% other; 87% mothers; 25% high school graduate without college education; 30% degree from 4-year college; 45% graduate or professional school). Parents completed surveys when children were aged 6–9, 8–12, 9–13, and 12–16, with the last assessments occurring between May 13, 2020 and July 1, 2020 during the COVID-19 outbreak. Children also completed online surveys at ages 11–16 assessing self-efficacy, optimism, and coping. Multi-level modeling analyses showed a within-person increase in mental health symptoms from before to after the outbreak after controlling for changes associated with maturation. Symptom increases were mitigated in youth with greater self-efficacy and (to some extent) problem-focused engaged coping, and exacerbated in youth with greater emotion-focused engaged and disengaged coping. Implications of this work include the importance of reinforcing self-efficacy in youth during times of crisis, such as the pandemic, and the potential downsides of emotion-focused coping as an early response to the crisis for youth.

当前的纵向研究调查了从美国东南部青年爆发COVID-19之前到之后整体心理健康症状的变化，以及自我效能，乐观和应对的潜在缓解作用。105个亲子二元组的样本参与了该研究（49％的男孩； 81％的美洲裔，1％的阿拉斯加土著/美洲印第安人，9％的亚裔/亚裔； 4％的黑人/非裔美国人； 4％的拉丁裔；以及4其他百分比：87％的母亲； 25％没有大学学历的高中毕业生； 30％的4年制大学学位； 45％的研究生或专业学校）。父母在孩子6–9、8–12、9–13和12–16岁时完成了调查，最后一次评估是在2020年5月13日至2020年7月1日COVID-19爆发期间进行的。孩子们还在11至16岁时完成了在线调查，以评估自我效能，乐观和应对。多级建模分析显示，在控制与成熟有关的变化之后，从爆发前到爆发后，一个人的心理健康症状会有所增加。具有较高自我效能感和（在某种程度上）专注于问题的应对方式的年轻人的症状增加得到缓解，而针对情感与敬业和脱离接触的应对力更高的年轻人的症状加剧。这项工作的意义包括在危机时期（例如大流行）加强年轻人的自我效能的重要性，以及以情感为导向的应对作为应对年轻人危机的早期反应的潜在弊端。具有较高自我效能感和（在某种程度上）专注于问题的应对方式的年轻人的症状增加得到缓解，而针对情感与敬业和脱离接触的应对力更高的年轻人的症状加剧。这项工作的意义包括在危机时期（例如大流行）加强年轻人的自我效能的重要性，以及以情感为导向的应对作为应对年轻人危机的早期反应的潜在弊端。具有较高自我效能感和（在某种程度上）专注于问题的应对方式的年轻人的症状增加得到缓解，而针对情感与敬业和脱离接触的应对力更高的年轻人的症状加剧。这项工作的意义包括在危机时期（例如大流行）加强年轻人的自我效能的重要性，以及以情感为导向的应对作为应对年轻人危机的早期反应的潜在弊端。