Prosocial behavior—behavior that benefits others—is critical to limiting the COVID-19 epidemic. To keep ourselves and our neighbors safe, we put on masks. For the sake of herd immunity, we vaccinate ourselves against the coronavirus.
A new study from the University of California, Riverside, found that teenagers’ prosocial behaviors and COVID-19 health-protective activities are influenced by how secure they feel in their relationships with their primary caregivers.
Tuppett Yates, a psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, conducted a study with 202 adolescents, half of whom were female and half of whom were Latino. Researchers discovered that adolescents’ ability to cope with the stress of the pandemic was aided by their sense of security with their parents prior to the outbreak. Furthermore, teenagers with higher mental health were more likely to engage in health-promoting and prosocial COVID-19 activities like social distancing.
“Numerous articles in the popular press have documented increased community spread of COVID-19 as a result of adolescents who socialize and party and the ongoing difficulties activating adolescents’ health protective orientation toward others during this crisis,” the study authors write. Adolescence is characterized by an increase in one’s sense of self-importance, a sense of invincibility, and a willingness to take risks.
Previous studies have shown that children’s trust and safety in the parent-child relationship is bolstered by sensitive and responsive caring. Children’s self-esteem and ability to influence their surroundings are directly linked to their level of attachment security. As a result, they are more equipped to deal with crises like the COVID-19 outbreak and assist those in need.
According to the authors, “Secure attachment relationships convey a message to children and adolescents that they are valuable.” Emotional security is linked to healthy eating, dental, exercise and hygiene habits as well as reduced levels of health risk behaviors including substance use and unprotected sex among teens.
The UCR study is the first to examine the relationship between attachment security and prosocial behavior in COVID-19 among adolescents. At the age of 12, the children and their parents were tested in a laboratory with 92.5 percent of them being biological mothers. A phone interview was conducted with the children and their parents when they were 14 years old. Children and parents were asked to complete online surveys one year later, in spring 2020, during the height of the initial COVID-19 lockdown in the United States.
Attachment security may have encouraged teenagers’ mental health and adherence to COVID-19 prosocial health protective behavior guidelines, which the authors write is crucial for curbing this epidemic.
Parents-adolescent relationships may play an important role in enhancing teenagers’ mental health and health behaviors, according to the authors.
When it comes to COVID-19, adolescents can be powerful advocates for social change like civil rights and environmental justice movements have been throughout history,” researchers wrote in a study. When it comes to the current fight against the COVID-19 epidemic as well as upcoming negotiations involving dangers to public health and well-being, our children and teens can be our strongest allies.