Interpersonal Stressors and Adolescent Mental Health During COVID-19: Investigating the Role of Loneliness

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic created social disruptions, leading to high levels of mental health problems for adolescents. Interpersonal stressors, such as lack of familial support, peer victimization, and discrimination, may have further exacerbated teen mental health issues. Yet, the psychological impact of interpersonal stressors and their interactive effects with high levels of loneliness remains unknown. In this pre-registered study , conducted in November and December 2020 (approximately eight months into the COVID-19 pandemic), we used a diverse sample of adolescents from across 43 U.