Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the emotional disorders of adolescents from rural high schools in Dobrogea, Romania

Adolescents and parents in rural Dobrogea diverge in their perceptions of emotional difficulties following the COVID-19 pandemic, with parents tending to overestimate externalizing and anxiety symptoms and adolescents endorsing more depressive symptomatology. Findings underscore the need for multi-informant assessment and context-specific, school-connected mental health services in rural settings.