Mental health problems in maltreated and bullied adolescents before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns

The COVID-19 lockdowns can be considered a quasi-experimental intervention to investigate the impact of maltreatment and bullying on adolescent mental health. Increased time spent at home possibly had an disproportionate negative impact on adolescents who experience maltreatment, yet positive impact on adolescents bullied in school. The current study used two Dutch community-based cohorts (n=345-876 during lockdowns) to investigate the internalizing problems of maltreated and bullied adolescents before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Maltreated adolescents’ internalizing problems increased disproportionately during lockdowns. Bullied adolescents’ internalizing problems increased less over time compared to non-bullied peers, but only if they had pre-existing problems.