Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Evaluating The Moderating Effect Of Gender On Adolescents’ Internalizing Symptoms Throughout The First Wave Of Covid-19, Naomi C. Curran

Lawrence University Honors Projects

In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic sent adolescents home to shelter-in-place in relative social isolation, potentially disrupting support networks, and compromising youth mental health. This may particularly impact already vulnerable groups, such as girls and transgender/gender diverse (TGD) adolescents, who experience a greater risk for depression and anxiety disorders than their peers. The present study investigated the moderating effect of gender on adolescents’ internalizing symptoms throughout the first wave of COVID-19. I hypothesized that the onset of the pandemic would increase TGD adolescents’ internalizing symptoms to a greater degree than their cisgender peers, and girls’ internalizing symptoms more than boys’. Data …