Adolescents' health in times of COVID-19: a scoping review

COVID-19, the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 (novel coronavirus), emerged in China in December 2019 and spread quickly throughout the world. In this scenario, the current study aimed to identify the impact or effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents' health. This is a scoping literature review based on the following databases: Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, SciELO, and PUBCOVID19. The study adopted the stages proposed by the Joanna Briggs Institute for scoping reviews, and the question orienting the procedures consisted of the acronym PCC (population; concept; context). Eleven articles were included in the review. Clinically, adolescents present the same COVID-19 symptoms as adults. The pandemic and the health measures taken to control transmission were found to be associated with mental health problems in adolescents. Specifically, adolescents have a negative experience with social distancing measures and closing of schools. These measures can also favor situations of violence or aggressive behaviors in the home environment. Healthcare services that treat the adolescent population had to reorient their practices, adopting a virtual model to replace face-to-face care, and even research projects involving adolescence had to be rethought. This scoping review addressed an emerging theme in relation to a population that has received little attention in studies on COVID-19. The results suggest that the pandemic can be considered a determinant that affects different dimensions of adolescents' lives.