Resilience, Ethnicity, and Adolescent Mental Health: Diary Study, 2020-2022

This study sought to answer the research question: how did socioeconomic disadvantage shape young people’s academic experiences and mental health in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic? We employed digital qualitative diary methods (QDMs) to gather rich, context-based opinions and experiences directly from adolescents over the course of a tumultuous period of school openings and closures. In centring the voices of adolescents from disadvantaged backgrounds we acknowledge the equity gap in previous research, which has neglected perspectives from marginalised and minoritised groups, and relied predominantly on the use of quantitative online surveys. In doing so, we address the need for more inclusive and nuanced research approaches when examining the experiences of disadvantaged young people during the pandemic.

Drawing on an educational stressors hypothesis we see how the social change caused by the pandemic impacted young people’s ability to perform at school and exacerbated the importance attached to academic success, therein, creating intolerable pressures. We present three key themes that demonstrate how socioeconomic disadvantage contributed to the cumulative impact of educational stressors on mental health, via a process of meaning negotiation: ‘All that matters is work’ reveals how the COVID crises heightened awareness of social inequality and instability, reinforcing the perceived role of education for determining future success; ‘Mounting disadvantage’ demonstrates how stressors at home accumulated and undermined young peoples’ confidence and ability to perform at school; ‘Keeping your head above water’ captures experiences of acute distress arising from the pursuit and prioritisation of academic success in the context of perceived social and educational inequalities. We propose examining targeted support strategies that could help adolescents with competing responsibilities to achieve at school, and in parallel, promoting inclusive education systems that alleviate the stakes attached to academic success.