Gender differences and post-pandemic mental health impacts: a mediation study on Vietnamese adolescents

This study examines anxiety and depression among 552 Vietnamese adolescents after COVID-19, focusing on gender differences and mental health changes. Using the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale and the Screen for Child Anxiety-Related Emotional Disorders, we found that 26.3% of participants experienced anxiety and 13.8% had depression. Separation anxiety was most common (33.0%), followed by social phobia (21.2%) and generalized anxiety disorder (16.3%). Family conflicts [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=6.8, p<0.01] and stigma (aOR=22.0, p<0.05) significantly raised depression, while high vaccine uptake reduced anxiety (aOR=0.1, p<0.05). Post-pandemic mental health changes increased depression (aOR=4.3, p<0.001) and anxiety (aOR=3.8, p<0.01). Females were more likely to report depression (aOR=5.7, p<0.01), with post-pandemic changes mediating 60.8% of this effect. The study highlights the need for gender-sensitive mental health interventions in the post-pandemic era.