COVID-19 Stressors and Latinx Adolescents' Mental Health Symptomology and School Performance: A Prospective Study.

This study addressed the need for research examining impacts of the Coronavirus-19 (COVID) pandemic on Latinx adolescents' adjustment. Survey data for a probability sample of 547 Latinx adolescents (Mage = 13.71, SD = 0.86; 55.2% female) were collected from 2018 to 2021, including two times both prior to, and during, COVID. Independent variables assessed COVID-related household hospitalization, job/income loss, and adolescents' increased childcare responsibility. Structural Equation Model results indicated that COVID-related increases in adolescent childcare responsibility were associated with increased internalizing and externalizing symptoms and declines in school performance. COVID hospitalization and job/income loss were associated indirectly, through childcare responsibilities, to worse adolescent outcomes. Family adversities may harm adolescents' adjustment by burdening adolescents with responsibilities such caring for children.

Solutions for latent growth modeling following COVID-19-related discontinuities in change and disruptions in longitudinal data collection

Following the onset of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, daily life significantly changed for the population. Accordingly, researchers interested in examining patterns of change over time may now face discontinuities around the pandemic. Researchers collecting in-person longitudinal data also had to cancel or delay data collection waves, further complicating analyses. Accordingly, the purpose of this article is to aid researchers aiming to examine latent growth models (LGM) in analyzing their data following COVID-19. An overview of basic LGM notions, LGMs with discontinuities, and solutions for studies that had to cancel or delay data collection waves are discussed and exemplified using simulated data. Syntax for R and Mplus is available to readers in online supplemental materials.