Gender differences and post-pandemic mental health impacts: a mediation study on Vietnamese adolescents

Published: 2 April 2025
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This study examines anxiety and depression among 552 Vietnamese adolescents after COVID-19, focusing on gender differences and mental health changes. Using the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders, we found that 26.3% of participants experienced anxiety and 13.8% had depression. Separation anxiety was most common (33.0%), followed by social phobia (21.2%) and generalized anxiety disorder (16.3%). Family conflicts [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=6.8, p<0.01] and stigma (aOR=22.0, p<0.05) significantly raised depression, while high vaccine uptake reduced anxiety (aOR=0.1, p<0.05). Post-pandemic mental health changes increased depression (aOR=4.3, p<0.001) and anxiety (aOR=3.8, p<0.01). Females were more likely to report depression (aOR=5.7, p<0.01), with post-pandemic changes mediating 60.8% of this effect. The study highlights the need for gender-sensitive mental health interventions in the post-pandemic era.

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How to Cite

Nguyen, T. L., Storm, V., Phung, L. T., Le, C. T., Le, T. T. H., Nguyen, T. H., Vu, S. T., Tran, T. T., Vu, M. H., & Nguyen, V. T. (2025). Gender differences and post-pandemic mental health impacts: a mediation study on Vietnamese adolescents. Italian Journal of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.4081/itjm.2025.1888