Socio‐emotional, cognitive, affective disorders and substance use in a sample of students in first‐ and second‐grade high school in Italy: A comparison among students', parents', and teachers' perceptions

• Published in: Psychology in the schools 2023-10, Vol.60 (10), p.3803-3821
• Main Authors: Cena, Loredana, Trainini, Alice, Zecca, Sara, Zappa, Sofia Bonetti, Cunegatti, Federica, Buizza, Chiara
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Addictions; affective disorders; Anxiety disorders; Behavior Disorders; cognition; COVID-19; Dropping out; Drug use; emotion; Emotional disorders; Emotional Disturbances; Extracurricular activities; Foreign Countries; High School Students; Individual Differences; Mental Health; Mental health promotion; Pandemics; Parent Attitudes; parents; Parents & parenting; Perceptions; Predictor Variables; Preventive medicine; Psychopathology; Risk factors; School Closing; School dropouts; Secondary schools; Self Concept; sociality; Student Attitudes; Students; Substance Abuse; substance use; Symptoms; Teacher Attitudes; Teachers; Youth
• ISSN: 0033-3085; 1520-6807
• DOI: 10.1002/pits.22950

The closure of schools, social hubs, and extracurricular activities due to lockdown measures imposed to curb the spread of SARS‐CoV‐2, has increased the risk factors for students' mental health. This cross‐sectional study, conducted from March 2020 to March 2021, aimed to estimate socio‐emotional, cognitive, and affective disorders and substance use in a sample of first‐ and second‐grade high school students in Northern Italy. This study compared data from 284 Italian students' self‐perceptions along with the perceptions of their parents and teachers through a web‐based survey. The differences in the perceptions of the three groups (students, parents, and teachers) were analyzed using an analysis of variance test, applying a Bonferroni correction. The χ2 test was used to assess the comparison between students, parents, and teachers in the substance use questions. The results showed statistically significant differences among the three groups. The most important outcomes were sociality, scholastic performance, extracurricular activity, emotional symptoms, affective disorders (depression and anxiety), and substance use. These findings could be interesting for the promotion of mental health and prevention of psychopathological risks in students. Practitioner Points The closure of schools due to COVID‐19 lockdown measures has increased the risk factors for students' mental health. There is significant differences among the perceptions of students, parents, and teachers, especially concerning sociality, scholastic performance, extracurricular activity, emotional symptoms, affective disorders, and substance use. Training initiatives should be developed to improve teachers' perceptions of their students and parents' perceptions of their children for the promotion of well‐being and the prevention of early school dropout, self‐addiction, and psychopathological risks in young people.