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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2022 Aug 1.
Published in final edited form as: J Adolesc Health. 2021 Jun 7;69(2):227–233. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2021.05.004

Table 1:

Themes, Definitions, and Example Quotes from Open-Ended Question about the Impact of COVID-19

Theme Definition Example Quote
Job change/finances Strain on finances or losing a job / income / work hours “It’s kept me from being able to work as a musician or seasonal employee during the summer and has caused me a lot of personal financial issues.”
Mental health Negative effect on mental health “A return to a much more introverted, anxious, and sedentary lifestyle, after recently making attempts to become more social, outgoing, and level- headed.”
Social isolation, missing family or friends Minimized social contact with friends and family, loneliness, isolation “Covid-19 has taken away my life as I knew it before. I have become fearful around everyone. I feel isolated and I just want my life back.”
Change to daily routine Unable to do normal daily activities, feeling bored at home, feeling shut in “I’m inside all the time and not doing anything productive, which has started to get very boring and frustrating.”
Education changes or school event cancelations Negative impact on education “I hate not being in school and seeing all my friends every day. I’m having a difficult time doing the homework and keeping up with my studies in general.”
Something positive or selfgrowth Mention of positive outcomes, self-growth “Staying home because of COVID-19 has given me a lot of time to think about my life which has allowed me to make breakthroughs on my mental health.”
Health behavior change Changes in health behavior due to COVID-19 “It has made me more aware of personal space and how to decrease the spread of germs to my family and others”
No effect No effect “Due to where I live, COVID-19 really did not effect [sic] how I live. The rural aspects of my area allow for a social distance that has always been present.”
General Negative Any negative comments without specific details “It ruined what was supposed to be one of the most exciting and fun years of my life.”
General change Any change-related comments without specific details “It’s made my whole life weird”
Political statement Comments questioning the existence COVID-19 or government/media mistrust “Media propaganda”
Other Anything not covered by other themes “It’s made me feel confused about how everything will play out”