Correlation between Social Isolation and Depression in Teenagers

Although the world has at large moved on from the social distancing and isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the issues presented then remain relevant; many teenagers still struggle with mental health issues in the aftermath of COVID-19. While social isolation itself is not harmful, the depression and severe loneliness seen during long periods of involuntary social isolation is a prevalent issue among teenagers, and numerous teenagers find themselves socially isolated or struggling with mental health, even without the many restrictions placed during COVID-19. This paper mainly focuses on the correlation between social isolation, loneliness, and depression, in teenagers, as well as how this presented itself during the COVID-19 pandemic. This paper also proposes a study based on determining whether nature walks or FaceTime calls are more effective in combating social isolation and loneliness to better maintain good mental health.