i

ORDINARY IN THE UNORDINARY LESSONS ON RESILIENCE AND HOPE-A
QUALITATIVE STUDY EXPLORING THE EXPERIENCES OF YOUTH WELL-BEING
AND LEARNING DURING COVID-19

by
Alexandra Catarina Dos Santos Paiva
BSc (Hons.)., Brandon University, 2014

A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment
of the Requirements for the Degree of
MASTER OF EDUCATION (Guidance & Counselling)
in the Department of Educational Psychology and Student Services

© Alexandra Catarina Dos Santos Paiva, 2023
Brandon University

ii

Brandon University
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
The undersigned certify that they have read, and recommended to the Senate for acceptance, a
MASTER’S THESIS entitled:

Ordinary in the Unordinary Lessons on Resilience and Hope-A Qualitative Study Exploring the
Experiences of Youth Well-Being and Learning During COVID-19

Submitted by: Alexandra Paiva

In partial fulfillment for the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF EDUCATION

Date: April 24, 2023

Signature on file
Supervisor:
Dr. Breanna Lawrence
Signature on file
Committee member:
Dr. Patty Douglas
Signature on file
Committee member:
Dr. Burcu Yaman Ntelioglou

iii
Supervisory Committee

Ordinary in the Unordinary Lessons on Resilience and Hope- A Qualitative Study Exploring the
Experiences of Youth Well-Being and Learning During COVID-19

by

Alexandra Catarina Dos Santos Paiva
BSc (Hons.)., Brandon University, 2014

Supervisory Committee
Dr. Breanna Lawrence (Department of Educational Psychology and Student Services)
Supervisor
Dr. Patty Douglas (Department of Educational Psychology and Student Services)
Dr. Burcu Yaman Ntelioglou (Department of Curriculum and Pedagogy)
Committee Members

iv
Abstract
Emergency remote instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic had an array of
implications for youth and their families. This qualitative case study explored youth experiences
and their parents’ perceptions about youth mental health and learning during imposed emergency
remote instruction throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a multi-informant and semilongitudinal case study research design, the purpose of the study was to describe the resilience
processes related to navigating remote learning at two different points in time (May 2020 and
May 2021). Participants included four youth aged 12-17 years old and their four parents that
totaled 16 separate semi-structured interviews. The findings include rich descriptions about the
in-depth experiences of youth and their families navigating the uncharted territory during the
pandemic with social restrictions and online learning living in Manitoba. Participants described
themes related to learning, mental health, family dynamics, interpersonal competencies, and
adaptive processes. These findings highlight the many systems and adaptive capacities within the
youth, in relationships with caregivers, families, educators, helpers and friends, and in resources
and capacities in order to support resilience in a post pandemic world. Many of these center
around the powerful adaptive systems variously referred to as agency or mastery motivation,
active coping, hope or optimism, and connection. The results have important implications for
research and practice regarding resilience, education, and counselling.

v
Acknowledgements
This endeavor would not have been possible without my supervisor Dr. Breanna
Lawrence. You introduced me to the world of qualitative research, growing my love for research
far beyond what I could have ever imagined. Your unwavering encouragement, patience, and
genuine care and support as we navigated the uncertainty of this global pandemic together was
felt and valued at every step of this process. Words cannot express how appreciative I am of your
mentorship and friendship, continued interest and belief in my academic work, and all of the
opportunities you’ve offered me. Thank you so much for that “ordinary magic”.
I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Dr. Patty Douglas and Dr. Burcu Yaman
Ntelioglou for supporting me through this project. Your detailed feedback and respective
academic expertise challenged me to step outside my comfort zone.
All the thanks to the four youth who participated in this study. Your vulnerability and
willingness to share your journey inspired and motivated me when it felt like there was no end in
sight. Your voices and contributions have made this possible and I know they will make a
difference in this world of unknowns.
A special thanks to my partner in this world, Devin, my rock…and roll. For everything
you do so that I can pursue my dreams and passions.
Os meus mais profundos agradecimentos aos meus pais, que imigraram do seu país de
origem e de tudo o que sabiam para uma nova terra sem nada além de esperança para o futuro
dos seus filhos.
My deepest thanks to my parents, who immigrated from their home country and
everything they knew to a new land with nothing but hope for the future of their children.

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Dedications
This thesis is dedicated to the youth that have allowed me the opportunity to have a little
glimpse inside their world. You are seen, you are heard, and you matter.

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Table of Contents
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... iv
Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................................... v
Dedications .................................................................................................................................... vi
Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii
List of Tables ................................................................................................................................. xi
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................. 1
Researcher Positionality .............................................................................................................. 3
Purpose of the Current Study ...................................................................................................... 6
Terminology Definitions ............................................................................................................. 6
Mental Health .......................................................................................................................... 7
Resilience................................................................................................................................. 8
Youth ....................................................................................................................................... 9
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework ................................................................................... 10
Relational Developmental Systems ....................................................................................... 11
Positive Youth Development ................................................................................................. 13
Social Ecological Resilience ................................................................................................. 16
Chapter Summary...................................................................................................................... 18
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................... 21
Youth Mental Health & Well-Being ......................................................................................... 21
Canadian-Focused Youth Mental Health Research ............................................................... 24
Longitudinal Studies on Youth Mental Health ...................................................................... 25
Resilience .................................................................................................................................. 28
Individual Resilience Factors ................................................................................................ 30
Resilience and Family ........................................................................................................... 38
Resilience and School ............................................................................................................ 42
COVID-19 Health Pandemic and Youth Mental Health ........................................................... 45
COVID-19 and Emergency Remote Teaching ...................................................................... 46
International Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 .............................................................. 47
Canadian Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 ................................................................... 50
Vulnerable Youth Mental Health and COVID-19 ................................................................. 54
Educational disruptions and COVID-19................................................................................ 56
Resilience and COVID-19 ..................................................................................................... 58
Chapter Summary...................................................................................................................... 60
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ........................................................ 62
Qualitative Research ..................................................................................................................... 62
Case Study ................................................................................................................................. 63
Research Questions ................................................................................................................... 65
Research Design............................................................................................................................ 66
Procedures ................................................................................................................................. 66
Participants ................................................................................................................................ 67
Table 1 ....................................................................................................................................... 68
Table 2 ....................................................................................................................................... 69
COVID-19 Health Pandemic Context ....................................................................................... 69
2020 ....................................................................................................................................... 69
2021 ....................................................................................................................................... 73

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Interview Method ...................................................................................................................... 78
Data Analysis ............................................................................................................................ 79
Chapter Summary...................................................................................................................... 81
Chapter Four: Participant Stories .................................................................................................. 82
Y01 Case Story (Sam 16-year-old) ........................................................................................... 82
Y03 Case Story (Tegan 13-year-old) ........................................................................................ 89
Y04 Case Story (Bella 14-year-old) .......................................................................................... 95
Y05 Case Story (Maddy 12-year-old) ..................................................................................... 103
Chapter Five: Across Participant Findings ................................................................................. 113
Table 3 ..................................................................................................................................... 114
Case Propositions and Qualitative Themes ......................................................................... 114
COVID-19 Learning Impact ................................................................................................... 115
Challenges ........................................................................................................................... 116
Strengths .............................................................................................................................. 119
Missing School & Teachers ................................................................................................. 121
Learning Impact Follow Up Interviews .................................................................................. 123
Rushed Learning .................................................................................................................. 123
Difficulty of Online Learning .............................................................................................. 124
New Appreciation for In Person Learning .......................................................................... 125
COVID-19 Mental Health Impact ........................................................................................... 127
Stress .................................................................................................................................... 127
Worry ................................................................................................................................... 130
Missing Friends ................................................................................................................... 132
Mental Health Impact Follow Up Interviews .......................................................................... 133
Mental Health Concerns ...................................................................................................... 134
Missing Friends & Milestones ............................................................................................. 136
Long Haul Mental Health Impacts ...................................................................................... 138
Improvement in Stress & Anxiety ....................................................................................... 139
Importance of Mental Health ............................................................................................... 141
Youth Individual Competencies .............................................................................................. 141
Personal Attributes .............................................................................................................. 142
Coping Strategies ................................................................................................................. 142
Youth Individual Competencies Follow Up Interviews .......................................................... 144
Personal Attributes .............................................................................................................. 144
Coping Strategies ................................................................................................................. 145
COVID-19 Family Dynamics ................................................................................................. 146
New Roles............................................................................................................................ 146
Increased Irritability ............................................................................................................ 149
Family Dynamics Follow Up Interviews ................................................................................ 150
Family Closeness ................................................................................................................. 150
Increased Independence ....................................................................................................... 152
Parental Mental Health Strain.............................................................................................. 153
Adaptive Systems & Processes ............................................................................................... 154
Parental Educational Support .............................................................................................. 154
Parental Educational Support Follow Up Interviews .......................................................... 156
Teachers ............................................................................................................................... 157

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Teachers Follow Up Interviews ........................................................................................... 162
Family School Collaboration ............................................................................................... 165
Family School Collaboration Follow Up Interviews ........................................................... 168
Hope & Motivation ................................................................................................................. 171
Increased Motivation ........................................................................................................... 172
Hope & Optimism for the Future ........................................................................................ 173
CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSION ................................................................................................. 175
Summary of Major Findings ................................................................................................... 175
COVID-19 Learning ............................................................................................................... 176
COVID-19 Mental Health ....................................................................................................... 179
Interpersonal Competencies .................................................................................................... 182
Adaptive Systems and Processes............................................................................................. 183
Family Dynamics .................................................................................................................... 183
Teachers .................................................................................................................................. 184
Family School Collaboration .................................................................................................. 186
Hope ........................................................................................................................................ 187
Limitations .............................................................................................................................. 189
Implications for Theory and Research .................................................................................... 190
Implications for Practice ......................................................................................................... 194
Researcher Experiences........................................................................................................... 199
Conclusion............................................................................................................................... 200
References ................................................................................................................................... 202
Appendix A ................................................................................................................................. 248
Recruitment Poster ...................................................................................................................... 248
Appendix B ................................................................................................................................. 249
Youth Interview Guide ............................................................................................................... 249
Appendix C ................................................................................................................................. 253
Parent/Guardian Guide................................................................................................................ 253

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List of Tables
Table 1-Youth Participant Demographics………………………………….……………………68
Table 2- Parent Participant Demographics………………………………………………………69
Table 3- Case Propositions and Qualitative Themes…………………………………………...114

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
The World Health Organization’s (2023a) statement “there is no health without mental
health” (p. 1) highlights the fundamental nature of well-being in an era marked by a time of
uncertainty and transition, where youth mental health is at risk and understanding resilience is
critical (Kieling et al., 2011; Malla et al., 2018; Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2013;
Sawyer et al., 2001; Wiens et al., 2020; Wilson et al., 2009). Integral to healthy development,
child and youth mental health encompasses social, emotional, and behavioral well-being (Mental
Health Commission of Canada, 2015). Understanding mental health from a perspective of
resources instead of deficits is indicative of a shift from a pathological to a salutogenic approach
centered around mental wellness (Antonovsky, 1987; Mittelmark & Bauer, 2017). The COVID19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of many and youth who have experienced
profound uncertainty. Since the onset of the pandemic, youth have experienced worsening
mental health and the long-term impacts are unknown (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020;
Findlay & Arim, 2020; Findlay et al., 2020; Racine et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020; Zhou et al.,
2020). As health and education research begins to emerge, there is an evident gap in the
exploration of factors that contribute to the promotion of the mental well-being of youth. This
thesis is situated in this gap of literature. The salutogenic approach is necessary to understand
youth capacity, thriving, and resilience within adverse conditions and thus, further research must
be centered on exploring how youth have experienced and made meaning of the pandemic.
While youth mental, social, and educational well-being remains susceptible to the consequences
of the global pandemic, it is imperative that we examine the experiences associated with
adaptation to better understand resilience, from an ecological perspective, as a key determinant
of students’ academic and developmental success (Aldridge & McChesney, 2018; McPherson et

2
al., 2014). The purpose of my study is to explore mental health and well-being amongst youth in
Manitoba during the global COVID-19 health pandemic as a means of uncovering the role of
contextual influences and multi-level resources when youth are faced with adversity.
The Relational Developmental Systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Lerner et al., 2011;
Overton, 2015) and Social Ecological Resilience (Ungar, 2012) are theoretical approaches within
educational psychology that encompass contextualized understandings of human development
and resilience processes. These approaches are well suited to my study which examines what
experiences mobilized or restored youth well-being and recovery particularly while schools were
conducting emergency remote instruction. Understanding developmental potentials and adaptive
processes and assets is vital to promoting youth mental wellness, from a Positive Youth
Development (Benson et al., 2006) perspective. Positive Youth Development represents a
conceptual lens which understands youth development by way of developmental contexts and the
innate ability for youth to flourish and thrive (Benson et al., 2006).
During the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, education changed drastically
(Statistics Canada, 2021). In Manitoba, Canada, schooling for children and youth changed to a
remote emergency instruction format (Nagle et al., 2020). Youth had to experience learning from
new and unique hybrid approaches of delivery. For many, sudden changes to their daily lives felt
completely disruptive. There is a need to learn about youth mental health experiences during this
time in order to best be able to provide more valued resources and support. Hopefully, the
implications of this study could be related to reducing any detrimental long-term impacts from
this global crisis for youth in Manitoban schools. Positive Youth Development and resilience
frameworks support the uncovering of the role of contextual influences and multilevel resources
such as schools and family when youth are faced with adverse conditions such as the COVID-19

3
health pandemic. My study explores the many systems and adaptive capacities of youth, to better
understand how to cultivate resilience at this point in the ongoing pandemic. Held on January 27,
2023, at the most recent meeting of the International Health Regulations (2005) (IHR)
Emergency Committee regarding the Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it was declared
that COVID-19 was still ongoing and continues to constitute a public health emergency of
international concern (PHEIC) (WHO, 2023b). While officials advised that it was possible that
the pandemic was nearing an inflexion point, long-term public health action is still necessary.
Researcher Positionality
A shared space, the research process is shaped and impacted by both researcher and
participants (England, 1994). Engaging and conducting qualitative research requires a rigorous
researcher to reflect on their positionality. Savin-Baden and Major (2013) state that positionality
“reflects the position that the researcher has chosen to adopt within a given research study” (p.
71). Reflexive processes throughout the research process require ongoing scholarly reflexivity
and personal insights and as Pelias (2011) describes a process in which researchers “ethically and
politically self-aware, make themselves part of their own inquiry” (p. 662). What brought me to
the research topic, my identity and lived experiences, and how forces shaped and influenced all
the research elements requires me to think reflexively about how contexts interact and impact
research methods and findings. The process of reflexivity aids researchers to understand the
boundaries of what they can see and assists in understanding from their partial and positioned
perspectives, their biases, values, and experiences (Creswell & Poth, 2018). Understanding the
interaction of my identity and role in this research, my relationship to the participants as
children’s counsellor who actively works in the community with youth, and the interview

4
process inherently positions me as the researcher to be perspectival and close to the research
itself (Mauthner & Doucet, 2003).
I came to understand my commitment and investment in youth well-being and mental
health and the influences at play in their betterment, through a deep reflective process. I have
worked in several nonprofit organizations, working towards supporting youth and their families,
in collaboration with the systems in which they learn and live. These experiences significantly
shaped my research interests in youth development and commitment to social issues that work to
oppress marginalized youth at risk. Working within the child welfare system serving as a
children's therapist, I recognize the power and privilege that comes along with my position and
my existence in this space as a white, educated, Eurocentric woman and the historically
oppressive authority of the system in which I work.
I am a second-generation Portuguese Canadian woman, non-disabled, university
educated, dominant official language speaker, middle class, cisgender, straight woman. My
culture and gender significantly influence my life and identity and impact my lived experiences.
Growing up in northern Manitoba, I was cognizant of the unique social challenges and hardships
that came with the geographical positioning of my community. These included poorer socioeconomic conditions, limitation of services, and urbanization which disproportionately impact
the growing health and social disparities among marginalized populations and groups, primarily
related to social determinates of health. Access to the social determinates of health are often
constrained by structural vulnerabilities which are risks imposed by systems of power and
oppression that create and maintain sociocultural, economic, and political inequities (Woolf et
al., 2007). In conducting this research, it was critical that I describe how I am positioned in the
social world in which the research takes place. Working within a child welfare system as a

5
children's therapist I am positioned as a front-line responder who supports youth as they navigate
the unique hurdles of development, mental health, and well-being. The literature has clearly
highlighted the relationship between being in care and the exposure to adversity and longer-term
negative impacts (Barker et al., 2014). Youth exposed to the system are more likely to engage in
risky behaviors in comparison to their peer groups (Mendes, 2005; Rutter, 2000). Furthermore,
my collaborative work with community and educational colleagues positions me uniquely to
observe and interpret the many challenges and obstacles within that context.
While my immigrant parents worked to plant roots in an unfamiliar land, I was tasked
with navigating the cultural tensions between my familial culture, traditions, and values and
those of this land I call home. As the first in my family to graduate from high school and to go on
to post-secondary education, I recognize the access to resources I have that my family did not.
As a child of non-English speaking parents, I was fluent in another language before ever learning
English. I struggled with the language barrier in my early years which later presented difficulties
with text comprehension, reading, and writing. Similarly, my non-English speaking parents
struggled to collaborate and communicate with my teachers and school staff. Completely
dependent on academic support from my teachers and additional educational assistant support, I
experienced many of the challenges of navigating the adverse effects of needing additional
support in the classroom. While I have never been diagnosed with a learning difficulty, I can
attempt to relate to the experiences of struggle and tension within the education systems of many
of the youth in this study.
I have been shaped by the COVID-19 pandemic, as a graduate student existing and
treading the waters of learning in a virtual world like the participants of this research. Similar to
the idea of the “insider perspective” in ethnography research, this in many ways positions me

6
with a “lived familiarity” of the culture under investigation (Darwin Holmes, 2020, p. 6). While
this allowed me to ask more meaningful interview questions due to my knowledge of being
embedded within the culture of emergency remote studentship, it also presented potential
challenges associated with over sympathizing and personal experience biases and preconceptions
that I had to mitigate while conducting the interviews and analysis.
In many ways, my early experiences with learning difficulties and current position as a
graduate student during the COVID-19 pandemic gives me an insider perspective by which I was
able to empathize and interpret participant’s experiences. In the same breath, I also embody an
outside perspective in my identity, and I do not necessarily understand the subculture of my
participants. This dichotomous experience of the insider-outsider perspective experienced by
qualitative researchers embodies the multidimensional complex experience of people and the
importance of the reflexive process (Dwyer & Buckle, 2009).
Purpose of the Current Study
The purpose of this study is to explore youth mental health and well-being among youth
in Manitoba during the COVID-19 health pandemic. Youth participated in virtual qualitative
interviews regarding their experiences with emergency remote learning, mental health, and hope.
Using an exploratory holistic case design, this study attempted to determine how participants
navigated the initial stages of the COVID-19 health pandemic. Four youth were interviewed at
two different time periods during COVID-19 and so were their parents. A total of 16 interviews
were completed to gain an in-depth and multi-perspective understanding about how youth are
navigating during COVID-19.
Terminology Definitions

7
Consistency and clarity amongst terms and constructs within the current empirical scope
of literature remains problematic for researchers and academics. For the purpose of my research,
I will draw on my theoretically informed understanding of mental health, youth development,
and resilience in order to define and discuss the constructs relevant to my thesis. Additionally,
the constructs of mental health, resilience, and youth will be explored utilizing formative
literature and research as it pertains to the field of counselling, education, and youth
development. While I will draw on contextually relevant sources within the field such as the
World Health Organization and the Canadian Mental Health Association, I will also offer critical
perspectives to support the definitions and experiences of the youth being investigated in this
study.
Mental Health
The World Health Organization (WHO, 2001) states that mental health is “a state of
well-being in which you can realize your own potential, cope with the normal stresses of life,
work productively, and make contributions to your community” (p. 1). Often mental health has
been expressed as simply the absence of mental disorder. This description does not encompass
the fundamental aspects of health in our human development and our ability to persevere amidst
adversities by way of good mental health (WHO, 2001). Further to the WHO’s declaration of
health as “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being,” good mental health is
about wellness rather than illness. Understanding mental health from a complex continuumbased perspective of functioning eliminates the use of mental health as a negative or illness but
more as the wholistic constitution of human well-being and development. Often referred to as
good mental health, positive mental health, mental well-being, wellness, and subjective wellbeing, these terms do not necessarily imply a static state of happiness — but the capacity for

8
someone to think, feel, and act in a way that enable us to enjoy life and offer protection against
adversities and reduce the development of mental health problems (Mental Health Commission
of Canada, 2015). For the purpose of this thesis, I use mental health to mean a wholistic sense of
well-being experienced by all youth that must be understood from a strengths-based, ecologically
informed perspective. Within my study, mental health is not reflective of clinical terminology;
instead, it is understood within the context of each youth’s personal experiences and language.
Resilience
Resilience has been interpreted and defined by many scholars since its emergence
throughout which time definitions have evolved (Anthony, 1974; Kalathil et al., 2011; Kolar,
2011; Lerner et al., 2011; Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2012; Werner & Smith, 1982). An ecological
perspective of resilience emphasizes the mutually influential relationship between youth and
their multiple levels of context (Lerner et al., 2011). Emphasizing the complexity and role of
these interactions and behaviors over time allows us to cultivate opportunities for personal
growth amidst challenging and adverse circumstances (Ungar, 2012).
It is important to acknowledge the criticism surrounding mainstream clinical recovery
model-based theories of resilience as it applies to those experiencing adversity and distress
(Voronka, 2019). The early understandings of resilience conceptualized it as an intrinsic
characteristic to be developed and cultivated, positioning the onus of responsibility on the
individual (Anthony, 1974; Kalathil et al., 2011; Werner & Smith, 1982). I reject this individual
perspective and holistically understand resilience as a function of bidirectional influences in the
promotion of youth development (Bronfenbrenner, 1992; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006). This
shifts the emphasis and onus of responsibility from the individual to an emphasis on interactions
within and across multi level systems of that individual’s experiences.

9
Anne Masten, a developmental psychologist and resilience researcher, is known for
studying the processes that help children and families deal with adversity. She conceptualizes
resilience as an “ordinary human adaptive process” which emerges despite adversity as a result
of complex interactions between individuals and systems leading to a dynamic understanding of
the phenomenon (Masten, 2001, p. 234). Adversity refers to experiences that may pose a
significant challenge, disruption or potential threat to the stability, viability, adaptation, and
development necessary for typical functioning of those exposed to it. As a children’s therapist, I
have noticed the upheaval of the pandemic in the youth I see and thus, in my research I have
conceptualized the COVID-19 global health pandemic and its multisystemic challenges as
adverse (Masten & Motti-Stefanidi, 2020).
Ungar (2012), a researcher in the field of social and psychological resilience, describes
resilience as a “set of behaviors over time that reflect the interactions between individuals and
their environments, in particular the opportunities for personal growth that are available and
accessible” (p. 14). From this perspective a youth’s system of care, family, educational system,
and community are all critical in influencing the youth’s individual psychological development
particularly in the face of adversity (Ungar, 2012). My study draws on these Social Ecological
definitions and understandings of resilience.
Youth
Youth includes people aged 12 to 25 years old which encompasses early adolescence and
emerging adulthood (World Health Organization, 2005). During this formative period of growth
and transition, youth experience a notable amount of change in their biological, cognitive,
psychosocial, and emotional developmental domains (National Academies of Sciences,
Engineering, and Medicine, 2019). While adolescence is a period of remarkable opportunity for

10
growth, it is also the most likely phase of life in which people experience mental health struggles
and challenges to well-being (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine,
2019). One in five children and youth will have a mental health problem such as anxiety
symptoms, behavioral problems, depressive symptoms, or substance use problems and only one
in five will receive mental health services in support of their difficulties (Boyle et al., 1987;
Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2012; Merikangas et al., 2009; Offord et al., 1987;
Waddell et al., 2002). These symptomologies can present themselves as a common experience or
manifest into more severe debilitating issues throughout the life of a child often understood as a
mental health disorder. While this study is not interested in measuring the occurrence of mental
health problems, or more specifically diagnosed mental health disorders of youth, it is important
to note this biomedical conception of poor mental health when seeking to understand this
vulnerable population. Alternatively, this study is interested in gaining a deeper understanding of
the multidimensional experiences of youth mental health and well-being from a wholistic
perspective.
Theoretical and Conceptual Framework
My research is informed by the developmental systems theoretical framework Relational
Developmental Systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Lerner et al., 2011; Overton, 2015), and further
draws on the process oriented Social Ecological Resilience model (Ungar, 2012) and the Positive
Youth Development model (Benson et al., 2006) to understand youth development, mental
health, and resilience. This guiding framework directs my exploration of contextual influences
and multi-level factors that youth experience when faced with significant adversity such as the
global COVID-19 pandemic. Embedded within a developmental systems metatheory of
understanding, Positive Youth Development my chosen conceptual approach emphasizes the

11
relation between person–environment interactions in which resources and processes are
harnessed to promote positive community and youth well-being and mental health. From this
perspective, youth possess resources that can be developed, nurtured, and cultivated as
significant determinants of youth well-being (Lerner, 2009). Together these three perspectives
formulate my theoretical and conceptual understandings of youth development and well-being,
resilience, and system level influences.
Relational Developmental Systems
The Relational Developmental Systems (RDS) understanding of human development
puts emphasis on the mechanisms, processes, and bi-directional exchanges related to individual
and contextual relations (Lerner, 2009; Overton, 2015). From this perspective, the mutually
influential relations between individual and context are described as individual ↔context
(bidirectional) relations and understood across place and time contextually. In conjunction with
the Positive Youth Development perspective, the Relational Developmental Systems
understanding of the role of multi-level resources and processes, and their role in promoting
youth well-being and resilience is critical to my research. Suited to examining what factors
mobilized and restored youth well-being and adaption while schools were conducting emergency
remote instruction, my study will examine contextual influences for youth resilience during the
pandemic including, but not limited to, schools, peers, and family. Rejecting a reductionist
nature-nurture view of development RDS theory highlights the importance of the relationship
versus simply one aspect or the other. As described by Overton (2015), a formative American
psychologist and researcher in the fields of clinical and developmental psychology:
…Relational-Developmental-Systems as a metatheory characterizes the living organism
as an inherently active, self-creating (autopoetic, enactive), self-organizing, and self-

12
regulating, relatively plastic, nonlinear complex adaptive system. The system’s
development occurs through its own embodied activities and actions operating coactively
in a lived world of physical and sociocultural objects, according to the principle of
probabilistic epigenesis. (p. 47)
This principle of adaptation emphasizes the potential of systematic change in the
individual and context relations which ultimately equates to the possibility of optimizing human
development. Understanding the processes that regulate exchanges between individual and
context serves as a point for exploration to better support individuals in their development
(Overton, 2015). Relational Development Systems is grounded in the idea that youth have the
inherent capacity to change towards individual and social well-being. Furthermore, this approach
highlights the dynamic processes that occur between individual and context while seeking to
understand human capacity and potential (Damon, 2004). This shift from understanding risk and
mitigating impact to recognizing strengths and engaging potentialities should be applied to all
youth and individuals as a way of promoting good mental health and well-being.
From Lerner and colleagues’ (2013) perspective, the overarching goal of adolescent
developmental research is to identify the individual and ecological conditions that reflect
resilience. Resilience represents the many ways in which individuals adapt successfully to
adversity (Egeland et al., 1993; Rutter, 2012; Wright & Masten, 2015). Lerner et al. (2013)
defined resilience from a Positive Youth Development perspective as a dynamic attribute
referencing the adaptive and mutually influential relation of an individual adolescent and that
person’s context. From this perspective, resilience is not in the person or the context but in their
connection and relation to each other. This implies that there are efforts that can be taken to
sustain or enhance the quality of the context in order to support positive adolescent development

13
(Lerner et al., 2013). Underlying the notion of Positive Youth Development is the idea of
intentional change and purposeful action to promote positive developmental processes such as
resilience. Resilience is, then, for Lerner et al. (2013), “a dynamic attribute of a relationship
between an individual adolescent and his or her multilevel and integrated (relational)
developmental system” (p. 293). The Relational Developmental Systems framework informed
my exploration of individual and ecological mechanisms, processes, and bi-directional
exchanges during unprecedented adversity in order to better understand youth potentialities and
well-being.
Positive Youth Development
Positive Youth Development encompasses a critical body of scientific inquiry including
theory, research, and practice models (Benson et al., 2006). Rooted in the theoretical traditions of
developmental psychology, Positive Youth Development draws on human development,
community organization and development, and social and community change theory.
Interdisciplinary in nature, the field of Positive Youth Development has many definitions and
conceptualizations. While academics in the field have yet to reach consensus on a definite
definition of Positive Youth Development, most can agree on the following components:
developmental contexts, the nature of the child with emphasis on the inherent capacity to grow
and thrive, developmental strengths, the reduction of high-risk behaviors, and the promotion of
thriving (Benson et al., 2006). This conceptualization of youth mental health and well-being is
fundamental to my study’s strengths-based exploration of resilience processes, which can be
uncovered and nurtured within the context of adversity to support every youth’s ability to do
well and experience positive outcomes.

14
Critical of mainstream psychological inquiry, which has centralized its ideas of
development on pathology and deficit, the Positive Youth Development framework understands
the developmental processes of youth mental health from a strengths-based perspective (Benson
et al., 2006). As described by Damon (2004), a leading scholar of human development, the
framework “emphasizes the manifest potentialities rather than the supposed incapacities of
young people…” (p. 15). Rejecting the notion that positive development, good mental health,
and resilience occurs solely by way of processes centered on improving and awakening personal
character traits, this shifts the focus to emphasize the critical nature of positive development
indicators and promotion of processes that contribute to well-being. Further to this shift is the
critical emphasis on how and what youths’ ecologies can do to promote positive development, no
longer centering on the individual. This framework prioritizes the intersection between the
individual and their context to promote adaptive processes and well-being. This understanding of
mental health and youth development drives my own conceptualization of good mental health as
being dependent on not just the individual, but the contexts and systems in which they are
embedded such as family and school, and the purposeful action in which they exist and develop.
Thus, in my study, from this perspective, well-being and positive youth development
occurs when intentional change is enacted to “enhance the fusion of person and context in a
healthy direction” as described by Benson et al. (2006, p. 910). Positive youth development and
well-being thus, is a result of system driven intentional opportunities which invite youth to
actively exercise and utilize their capacity for growth and engagement (Benson et al., 2006). For
this reason, Positive Youth Development, and the foundational belief that all youth have the
inherent capacity for positive growth and well-being when their ecologies facilitate intentional

15
change processes such as resilience, encompasses the lens in which my research conceptualizes
mental health and youth development (Benson et al., 2006).
Centered around youth potentialities and capacities to act on the environment, this
framework highlights the role of active pathways in fostering positive developmental processes.
This is further explained by the bidirectional nature of person-ecology interactions (Lerner,
2009). A positive developmental trajectory is activated when youth are embedded in
relationships, contexts, and ecologies that nurture their development (Benson et al., 2006). This
is further enabled when youth have the opportunity to participate in multiple, nutrient rich
relationships, contexts, and ecologies such as family and school. As viable and critical delivery
systems for positive youth development, family and school will be points of inquiry for my
research. Investigating and promoting development and well-being from a comprehensive, multilevel perspective requires the uncovering of the role of adaptive processes and valued resources
when youth are experiencing adversity. Following a Positive Youth Development framework, I
understand youth as major actors in their own development and as significant resources in
enabling positive development and well-being by investigating their unique personal attributes
and resources (Benson et al., 2006)
An important aspect of the Positive Youth Development Framework is the push towards
both individual improvement and social success, and population developmental well-being
(Benson et al., 2006). Lorion and Sokoloff (2003) argue that “all soil can be enriched, and all
moisture and sunlight maximally used to nourish all flowers” (p. 137), highlighting the
maximization of benefit and potential both individually and societally. When the focus of
positive well-being and good mental health is no longer placed on the individual but the systems
of care, everyone benefits from the strengths-based understandings, interactions, contexts, and

16
processes (Benson et al., 2006). The developmental assets of all youth can be cultivated through
developmental rich relationships and contexts (Benson et al., 2006).
Offering a paradigm shift from the pathology–deficit–risk model-oriented understandings
of youth development, Positive Youth Development conceptualizes youth potential and
developmental, ecological, and social process from a unique theoretical orientation (Damon &
Gregory, 2003; Lerner, 2009). This perspective is critical in understanding the protective and
promotive factors and processes necessary to buffer against the adversities of the COVID-19
pandemic. Focusing on understanding the experiences in which youth resilience was built as they
experienced these unknown terrains is critical in identifying, enhancing, and utilizing youth
strengths and promoting positive outcomes in order to address an emerging mental health crisis.
Furthermore, this holistic approach to understanding and supporting youth is best suited to
promoting the mobilization and restoration of all youth well-being and resilience.
Social Ecological Resilience
Nested within the Relational Developmental Systems framework the Social Ecological
perspective conceptualizes that “resilience does not come from rare and special qualities, but
from the everyday magic of ordinary, normative human resources in the minds, brains, and
bodies of children, in their families and relationships, and in their communities” (Masten, 2001,
p. 235). My research is guided by a contextual and developmental lens by which we can more
richly understand the adaptive systems and processes that engage youth at multiple levels to
facilitate resilience and positive development. Exploring the ecologies that nurture youth
development offers insight into the potentialities that can be enriched, rather than the supposed
incapacities of those at a higher risk for adverse mental health experiences during the pandemic
(Findlay & Arim, 2020).

17
Bronfenbrenner’s (1986) conceptualization of developmental contexts places a youth at
the center of a system of bidirectional influences including those proximally closer such as their
families and home to systems such as culture and time further from the center. Conceptualizing
individual’s interactions with their multiple levels of influence—microsystem, mesosystem,
exosystem and macro systems—as described by Bronfenbrenner (1992) and Bronfenbrenner and
Morris (2006) offers a fuller understanding of resilience beyond the notion of internal and
external assets or psychological superior or inferiority. Nested within interpersonal, community,
organizational, and policy driven environments, resilience is cultivated through interaction where
adversity is. Whereby, the “capacity individually and collectively to negotiate for these resources
to be provided and experienced in culturally meaningful ways” to contribute to good mental
health (Ungar, 2008, p. 225).
Dependent on social ecology, resilience is categorized by its four principles of
decentralism, complexity, atypicality, and cultural relativity (Ungar, 2012). Reflecting on these
four pillars and contextual variance, resilience can be described as “the capacity of individuals to
navigate their way to the psychological, social, cultural, and physical resources that sustain their
well-being” (Ungar, 2008, p. 225). By way of this definition resilience becomes a “shared
experience” of both the individual and the systems in which it is embedded (Ungar, 2012). This
approach removes the onus from the individual and highlights the critical role of the environment
as it plays a role in cultivating a catalyst for resilience to grow in the face of significant
adversity. From this perspective, resilience is not in the person or the context but in their
connection and relation to each other. The interdependent nature of resilience and environment
becomes integral in the face of a global pandemic. Relevant to this research influences such as

18
family experiences, close relationships, peers, and school roles will be important to explore
through the use of in-depth qualitative descriptions.
Chapter Summary
The theoretical framework my research is based upon is the Relational Developmental
Systems framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Lerner et al., 2011; Overton, 2015) and the Positive
Youth Development (Benson et al., 2006) and Social Ecological Resilience (Ungar, 2012)
conceptual models. The process orientated contextualized framework of understanding the
individual in Relational Developmental Systems and Social Ecological Resilience perspectives,
is further expanded within Positive Youth Development to promote growth and development
through the bidirectional context-person relationships amongst multiple levels of systems
(Lerner, 2009).
While Positive Youth Development and Social Ecological Resilience have many unique
qualities as standalone frameworks, they are both rooted in the developmental theory and have
evolved with the field to reflect more closely a developmental systems theory (Masten, 2014a).
These frameworks share pillars of systems around positive adaptation, translational interactions
across systems, and overlapping goals of promoting positive development that compliment one
and other and thus, their complimentary nature positions them to be best suited for this research.
As described by Lerner et al. (2002) “changes across the life span are seen as propelled
by the dynamic relations between the individual and the multiple levels of the ecology of human
development (family, peer, group, school, community, culture), all changing interdependently
across time (history)” (pp. 13-14). While these ecological levels are interdependent, they can
interconnect, interact, and adapt dynamically. When ecologies understand youth as inherently
capable, they are able to take action to facilitate processes that support youth to persevere and

19
thrive so they can reach their full potential. This unified belief is fundamental to all the
underlying theories of this research. Furthermore, Social Ecological Resilience theory offers a
framework which broadens my understanding of adaptation and processes within the context of
extreme adversity and challenge such as COVID-19.
Using this interrelated theoretical framework, my research will further broaden the
understanding of supportive mechanisms to well-being and mental health in the face of adversity
exposure such as unexpected mass-trauma events like the global pandemic on youth. Relevant to
the present research is the exploration of contextual and multi-level influences such as family
and school factors as they contribute to good mental health and well-being of youth. Youth
mental, social, and educational well-being remains susceptible to the consequences of the global
pandemic. Emerging research about the detrimental effects of the pandemic on youth mental
health affirms it is imperative that we examine the experiences associated with adaptation to
better understand resilience from an ecological perspective as a key determinant of students’
academic and developmental well-being (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020; Findlay & Arim,
2020; Racine et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020). Relevant to the current research,
these understandings assist in cultivating specific adolescent adaptive processes, and in further
examining the role of resilience as a catalyst for well-being and development during the COVID19 pandemic. Sharing a common goal, Positive Youth Development and Social Ecological
Resilience theories prioritize producing action-oriented research that informs interventions and
polices to promote positive development (Masten, 2014a). This is a value that aligns with my
work as a graduate student and counsellor.
In this initial chapter, I explored the importance of youth well-being and resilience amidst
the COVID-19 health pandemic, defined the terms relevant to this research, described my

20
positionality as a researcher, and explained the theoretical framework on which this study is
based upon. Informed by my theoretical framework, next I turn to a review of literature relevant
to the study of youth well-being and resilience in Chapter Two.

21
CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW
As highlighted in Chapter One, understanding youth development, mental health, and
resilience from a process oriented, contextualized framework such as Positive Youth
Development and ecological approaches allows researchers invested in strengths-based
approaches to identify processes and describe conditions in which youth well-being and recovery
can be cultivated in the face of adversity. Throughout this literature review, I will examine youth
mental health from a positive mental health perspective by way of reviewing the current
scholarly landscape of youth well-being, including the role of resilience processes in promoting
mental wellness. Furthermore, I adopt an ecological perspective to examining the educational
psychology literature by inquiry of contextual factors and multi-level interactions such as family,
school, and multi-level resources to promote growth and development (Lerner, 2009). In the
conclusion of this literature review, I will summarize the emerging research on youth mental
health and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Youth Mental Health & Well-Being
Adolescence is marked by uncertainty and transition as youth navigate their identities
amidst the ever-changing world (Malla et al., 2018). Characterized by development and
maturation, youth are challenged to adapt to their environments while striving to engage in
worthwhile successful experiences. The World Health Organization (2005) states that “mental
health and well-being are fundamental to quality of life, enabling people to experience life as
meaningful and to be creative and active citizens. Mental health is an essential component of
social cohesion, productivity, and peace and stability in the living environment, contributing to
social capital and economic development in societies” (p. 1). Youth with good mental health
have reduced risk for academic, behavioral, mental health difficulties, and substance use

22
problems and ultimately do and feel better within their experiences. From a Positive Youth
Development contextually based understanding of well-being, it is essential to uncover the
adaptive processes necessary to bolster youth resilience in the face of the COVID-19 global
pandemic, shifting the onus of change from the innate characteristics of the youth to the multilevel systems in which they exist. Seligman and Csikszentmihalyi (2000) argued persuasively in
their foundational work in the field of positive psychology that “psychology is not just the study
of pathology, weakness, and damage; it is also the study of strength and virtue” (p. 7). If we only
center our focus of inquiry on what is going wrong for youth, and not what strengths and
adaptive processes that facilitate them to do well in times of adversity, we cannot support youth
or the systems in which they are embedded to reach their full potential.
Existing research has demonstrated the growing incidences of depression and anxiety
amongst youth globally, problems affecting between 10 and 20 percent of children and
adolescents (Collinshaw et al., 2010; Kessler et al., 2005; Kieling et al., 2011). Studies of youth,
development, mental health, and resilience indicate a clear association between poor mental
health and negative outcomes for health, education, employment, social relationships, and
criminal behavior (Costello & Maughan, 2015). The social and cultural conditions of the 21st
century may be contributing to the current worsening mental health climate (Bor et al., 2014).
Studies in developmental psychology and counselling psychology have sought to understand the
evolving trends of incidence and prevalence of mental health in youth, highlighting the increase
of mental health symptoms globally particularly in the case of internalized symptoms amongst
girls (Bor et al., 2014; Collishaw, 2015). One in five children worldwide, a group which
encompasses youth, will experience mental health problems, additionally, only one in five of
them who require mental health services receive them (Kieling et al., 2011; Mental Health

23
Commission of Canada, 2013; Sawyer et al., 2001). These trends exemplify why youth are
worthy of being explored in research.
Merikangas’ et al. (2010) international research has demonstrated that the most common
mental health conditions include anxiety disorders (31.9%), followed by behavioral disorders
(19.1%), mood disorders (14.3%) and substance use disorders (11.4%). Within a nationally
representative sample of American youth, the media age of onset for disorder classes was anxiety
at six years old, followed by 11 years old for behavior, 13 years old for mood, and 15 years old
for substance use (Merikangas et al., 2010). Between 50% and 75% of mental health disorders in
adulthood begin before the age of 15 (Merikangas et al., 2010). These evident early onset points
of mental health disorders positions youth as a population in need of scholarly attention and
investigation within the context of this study (Kessler et al., 2005; Kim-Cohen et al., 2003). The
onslaught of research centered on the biomedical model of mental health draws great attention to
deficits and risk-based understanding of youth, but it views mental health through a vacuum
overlooking many factors which contribute to promoting positive youth development and
developing healthy and thriving youth. When mental health and well-being is understood within
the context of a fundamental component of overall health and human existence, lessons can be
learned about what helps youth do well and what they need more of. Increased well-being and
positive mental health itself can serve as a tool by which youth are able to thrive and adapt
within adversity and making it essential to foster and prioritize. Further exemplifying why I have
adopted a Positive Youth Development framework and why it is necessary to contribute to
research from this perspective as a way of finding innovative ways to promote resilience in the
face of adversity.

24
As changes in mental health deterioration prevalence continue to present themselves so
does the need for further study. The research of Dubey and colleagues (2020) has helped expose
the role of factors such as loneliness, social isolation, family stressors, exposure to maltreatment
and abuse, and systemic racism and their impacts on well-being and contributions to emotional
difficulties amongst youth. Within the context of the 21st century, youth are particularly
susceptible to mental health difficulties because of varying social and cultural factors. As
Collishaw (2015) outlined, individual vulnerability, family life, extrafamilial influences on risk,
and broader cultural change are plausible explanations for the shift in mental health diagnoses.
Adopting a biomedical reductionist approach in understanding youth by way of reducing their
mental health experiences to that of prevalence of diagnostic and assessment-based concerns and
disorders is simply not enough to understand youth and their experiences. An Evidence Check
facilitated by Rickwood and Thomas (2019), included 92 systematic reviews that identified risk
and protective factors for mental health and well-being. Findings suggested that risk factors for
teenagers included high screen time and cyberbullying, poor family functioning, chronic illness
and obesity, out of home care, factors related to refugee status, and high demand academic
environments, whereas, protective factors included positive family functioning, social support
including online community support and physical activity (Rickwood & Thomas, 2019). It is
important to note the contradictions and tensions between risk and protective factors and mental
health disorder prevalence and experiences of well-being and mental. Furthermore, it is
imperative that these differences be exposed and overcome in order for resilience scholarship
centered on positive aspects of development and strengths to be valued and prioritized.
Canadian-Focused Youth Mental Health Research

25
There is a growing prevalence of mental health concerns amongst Canadian adolescents.
Wiens et al. (2020) examined both perceived mental health status and professionally diagnosed
mood and anxiety disorders amongst 12–24-year-old Canadian adolescents. Trends from 20112018 showed an increase in prevalence of poor/fair mental health and professionally diagnosed
mood and anxiety disorders. Most prevalent amongst young women’s (12-24 years old)
perceptions of poor/fair mental health increased by (3.8–9.5%; p= 0.001), with increases of 1.0%
per year for mood disorders and 1.6% per year for anxiety disorders. Out of 38 countries Canada
ranks 35th on teen suicide rates, with adolescent boys from Indigenous communities showing
significant greater risk than their counter parts (Statistics Canada, 2019). In 2015/2016, 8% of
First Nations youth, aged 12 to 17 years, had been diagnosed with anxiety, alongside 7% who
had been diagnosed with mood disorders, and 3% with attention deficit disorder/attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (First Nations Information Governance Centre, 2018). This underscores
the importance of attending to multiple contextual factors in understandings of mental health.
Longitudinal Studies on Youth Mental Health
While several studies have taken on the task of capturing reliable data, the challenges
associated with measurement continue to impact researchers’ abilities to capture a clear picture
of the landscape of mental health in society over time (Bor et al., 2014; Collinshaw et al., 2010).
The findings of Blomqvist et al. (2019) were of benefit in further broadening the understanding
of secular changes on youth’s internalized mental health symptoms and conduct problems from
1980-2014 amongst Swedish adolescents. This cross-sectional study compared two
geographically similar groups of adolescents in 1981 and 2014. The results were indicative of an
increase of anxiety, depression, and functional somatic symptoms for both boys and girls, with a
greater increase being noted in girls. Furthermore, rates of conduct problems decreased for both

26
boys and girls. While limitations surrounding changes in expression of terms were considered,
the measurement validity, and generalizability of this study offered a greater understanding of
the increased mental health problems amongst youth over the last three decades.
The findings of this formative research by Blomqvist et al. (2019), Bor et al. (2014), and
Collinshaw et al. (2010) while valuable, contributed to the wide gap in literature surrounding
non-binary, intersex and queer identifying youth (Rutherford et al., 2021). The TwoSpirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning or Intersex (2SLGBTQI+)
community faces great adversity in simply existing within the context of discrimination,
marginalization, and oppressive communities (Almeida et al., 2009; Fergusson et al., 1999;
Hafeez et al., 2017; Russell & Fish, 2016). To date, the research on 2SLGBTQI+ identifying
youth’s mental health experiences has had a predominantly quantitively focus much like that of
their non identifying peers (Wilson & Cariola, 2020). While this study will not focus specifically
on 2SLGBTQI+ youth, the valuable literature in the area and the gap of qualitative research
poses me to reflect on the importance of capturing and uncovering the ordinary magic of
resilience from the perspective of all youth. This requires that scholars execute inclusive
intersectional research centered on those who have been embedded within multi-level systems
riddled with adversity and barriers, as a way to understand and challenge social inequalities
which pose threats to positive development.
A systematic review of 19 epidemiological studies conducted across 12 countries
completed by Bor et al. (2014) examining cohort and population studies was employed in hopes
of contributing to the understanding of changes in mental health of children over time. Of the 19
toddler, child, and adolescent focused studies examined, 17 explored internalizing problems and
11 focused on externalizing concerns (Bor et al., 2014). While children and toddler centered

27
studies did not depict declining mental health symptoms amongst their participants, adolescent
focused studies painted a picture of worsening conditions with a majority describing an increase
(30-50%) in internalizing problems (e.g., depression, anxiety) particularly for girls (Bor et al.,
2014). While results were mixed for boys, these findings render data that supports the worsening
mental health states of adolescent girls. Externalizing concerns showed no change, with only two
studies reporting an increase in symptoms for girls (Bor et al., 2014).
The above review of literature depicts the ongoing worsening mental health climate of
youth. As the emerging differences in youth mental health may be explained by actual worsening
mental health conditions it is important to note that it may also indicate the possibility of
diminishing stigma and increase in awareness and potential to seek help (Knafo et al., 2008).
Findings from the existing literature highlight the growing prevalence of youth mental health
concerns through a highly weighted quantitative pathological lens. Relying solely on
measurement and multivariate models of quantitative methods poses limitations to understanding
the in-depth experiences of youth. The only way to understand this complex social and
contextual phenomena and the feelings and impressions of youth is qualitative research.
Research like my study is needed to holistically conceptualize the landscape of youth well-being
and mental health. Through this process, I have come to recognize the role of qualitative research
as fundamental to social change. Offering an in-depth look at very specific phenomenon,
qualitative research has the ability to shift participants experiences from numbers to rich
accounts of youth’s experience, ultimately amplifying the voices of youth who are not often
listened to.
Furthermore, exploration of contextual influences and multi-level factors that youth
experience when faced with significant adversity, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic, is

28
critical to contextually understanding youth mental health holistically. If, as Roth and BrooksGuinn (2003) suggest, we might view “youth as resources to be developed rather than problems
to be managed” (p. 172), then research can be used to help cultivate resilience, which emerges
despite adversity. Youth’s well-being can be understood as a resource to encourage and nurture,
instead of a risk to be managed in adversity. Understanding the role of factors that promote
individual and societal competencies, functioning, and resilience in the face of adversities and
challenges supports the notion of good mental health. Although, it is critical that we understand
that “the relationship between resilience, mental health and social outcomes are complex, nonlinear and bi-directional” (Khanlou & Wray, 2014, p. 70), it is evident in the literature that
promoting resilience in youth can contribute to better outcomes and well-being, making it an
area worthwhile of research. Thus, describing what factors mobilized or restored youth wellbeing and recovery, particularly while schools were conducting emergency remote instruction, is
necessary to capture the person-environment interactions necessary to facilitate processes that
promote positive community and youth well-being and mental health.
Resilience
Literature on resilience and well-being in the context of adversity has brought attention to
common protective factors such as close relationships, psychological skills and capacities, and
community-based supports (Gartland et al., 2019; Masten, 2014a; Masten et al., 2015; Meng et
al., 2018; Wright et al., 2013). The Buffalo Creek disaster of 1972 was one of the first of its kind
to produce longitudinal data on the impact of major disasters on child development (Korol et al.,
2002). When the collapse of a coal-slurry dam occurred in this small community resulting in 125
lives lost, a lawsuit against the company led to longitudinal data on the experiences of the
surviving adults and children. This event rendered findings that would be replicated in later

29
adversity research highlighting worsening adjustment with greater exposure to destruction and
death, a range of mental health symptoms, and notable age and sex differences (Green et al.,
1994). Green et al. (1994) revealed that older children were most likely to experience post
traumatic stress, furthermore, a link between family functioning and child well-being was
observed. In their longitudinal findings 17 years later, researchers concluded that many of the
young people were doing ok and most had even recovered from the impact of the disaster by
adulthood (Green et al., 1994; Korol et al., 2002). This raises the question of why and how
resilience occurred over time in these youth in spite of experiencing such a horrendous event.
Not long after the idea of resilience emerged in the literature on risk for psychopathology in the
1970’s, the variation in responses of children to disasters was folded into this emerging social
science (e.g., Garmezy & Rutter, 1983).
Today, there is diverse and growing literature on resilience in the context of different
kinds of adversity (Danese et al., 2020; Fothergill, 2017; Masten et al., 2015). Commonly
referenced as protective factors, identifying, promoting, and incorporating these preventative
measures in youth’s lives decreases the likelihood of problem behaviors and increases the
likelihood of positive behavior (Catalano et al., 2012). Researchers at the Search Institute have
been working to highlight the role of multilevel factors such as positive adult and family support,
commitment to learning, sense of purpose, and positive values as a way to expand the
understanding of developmental assets (Leffert et al., 1998; Scales et al., 2000). The Social
Ecological framework (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006) and other
transactional theories posit that youth well-being and positive mental health outcomes are a
result of multiple and concurrent characteristics of the individual and environment and their
complex interactions. This ordinary magic occurs across many systems and adaptive capacities

30
within the child and across the levels in which they are embedded, such as relationships with
caregivers, families, educators, helpers and friends, and in resources and capacities provided by
families, schools, and communities (Masten et al., 2015).
Masten’s (2001) noteworthy compilation of ordinary adaptive processes contributing to
resilience referred to as “the shortlist” identifies the capacities available to children and youth for
adapting to challenges (p. 243). The renowned list consists of 11 common multilevel protective
factors including effective parents and caregivers, connections to other competent and caring
adults, problem solving skills, self-regulation skills, positive beliefs about the self, beliefs that
life has meaning, spirituality, faith and religious affiliations, socioeconomic advantages, pro
social, competent peers and friends, effective teachers and schools, and safe effective
communities (Masten, 2014a). These key adaptive systems that support youth’s resilience
embody the developmental processes that occur at the individual level and interact across levels
of function including individual, family, and school (Masten, 2014a; Masten et al., 2015).
Individual Resilience Factors
Historical research centered its efforts on understanding resilience from an individual
perspective, focusing on resiliency as an assets and qualities dependant phenomenon which very
much aligned with a risk and deficits model. (Anthony, 1974; Werner & Smith, 1982).
Resilience as a concept evolved and has come to be ecologically informed and defined, and in
turn individual level factors represent a much broader adaptive system (Lerner et al., 2011;
Masten, 2001; Ungar, 2012). Cognitive, social, and emotional skills contribute to individual’s
resilience in turn creating opportunities for positive development and well-being (Masten, 2019).
Masten (2014a) acknowledges problem-solving skills, effective behavioral and emotional selfregulation, a sense of self-efficacy and mastery motivation for positive goals, and the belief that

31
life has meaning as key adaptive processes in resilience (Bonanno, 2004; Masten & Cicchetti,
2016; Masten & Reed, 2002). These competencies are reflective of the individual traits and
internal capacities of youth that can be learned, fostered, and nurtured within their embedded
systems of care.
Self-regulation has been given attention in the literature for its role in contributing to
resilience (Eisenberg & Spinrad, 2004; Novoa, 2014). In Fritz and colleagues’ (2018) systematic
review uncovering resilience factors in the face of childhood adversity, individual factors were
identified including three cognitive (high: cognitive reappraisal, mental flexibility; low:
rumination), four emotion regulation (high: distress tolerance; low: alcohol coping expectancy,
aggression, expressive suppression), three social interaction/attachment (low: insecure
attachment, disconnection/rejection, other-directedness) and three personality/self-concept
resilience factors (high: self-esteem; low: ego over-control, ego under-control). Furthermore,
self-regulation has also been linked to resilience and academic achievement (Nota et al., 2004).
A study exploring the relationship between self-regulation and resilience amongst 365 at risk
Spanish youth, aged 15-21 years, highlighted the significant and positive relationship between
the two constructs (Artuch-Garde et al., 2017). Learning from mistakes (self-regulation) was a
significant predictor of coping and confidence, tenacity and adaptation, and tolerance to negative
situations (resilience), low-medium-high levels of self-regulation correlated with scores on
resilience factors (Artuch-Garde et al., 2017). Self-control, self-efficacy, and emotional
regulation have all been associated with having a strong sense of internal locus of control,
impacting how youth perceive and cope with challenging circumstances (Benzies & Mychasiuk,
2009; Juby & Rycraft, 2004; Terranova et al., 2009; Wong, 2003). These above mentioned
facets, are captured under the umbrella of self-regulation and are individual level factors that are

32
resources to be developed (Anderman, 2011; de la Fuente et al., 2015; Lerner et al., 2011).
Understanding these resources as not innate to the individual, but as qualities that can be
nurtured, enhanced, and promoted by a youth’s ecology is essential to supporting and
encouraging positive development.
While these individual resilience factors are worthy of mention, it is critical that they be
understood within the context of capacities to be developed and fostered. Attributing resilience to
a personal innate characteristic can be problematic and detrimental to understanding youth
development, by way of limiting the potential of human growth and youth trajectories and
negativing the role of social and cultural influences. Learning how to help youth involves an
integrated process that considers youth within their multiple levels of being and views those
multi-level systems as interacting with one and other dynamically. For example, the case of
teachers collaborating with parents to support and encourage executive functioning, motivation,
and agency by creating natural opportunities for mastery within the context of the school day and
further promoting positive self-perceptions (Masten & Cicchetti, 2010).
Emerging within the current literature is the study of epigenetics and child and youth
development. This field explores the consequences of in vitro toxic stress exposure resulting
from prenatal stress, inadequate prenatal care, maternal exposure to trauma, for example (Masten
& Cicchetti, 2016; Masten & Monn, 2015; Walsh, 2006). Of recent scholarly interest, is the role
of gene-environment influences on resilience which reflect the interplay between inherited traits
and the context and environment they are engaged in throughout youth’s development
(Champagne, 2010; Kim-Cohen et al., 2004; Kim-Cohen & Turkewitz, 2012.) Kim-Cohen and
Turkewitz (2012) revealed the role of gene-environment influences in resilience in identical and
fraternal twins experiencing socioeconomic deprivation, with 71% of variance in resilience being

33
attributed to genetic influence and temperament factors associated with genetic roots highlighted.
These findings indicate that genes may play a role in youth adapting in the face of adversity and
highlight the need to further understand the complex interplay between these factors.
Conceptualizing these findings within a Relational Developmental Systems understanding of
mutually influential relations which is understood across place and time contextually is critical.
Development is a joint function of environmental influences and child characteristics, which
genes are considered.
Hope and the Individual. Nested within Masten’s shortlist is the notion of hope and
optimism. Linked to the ability to uphold a positive and hopeful attitude amidst adversity, hope,
and optimism have been found to increase youth resilience (Nelson, 2008; Walker et al., 2012).
Hope as a motivating individual construct is gaining momentum in academia and practice, with
literature supporting hope’s role in positive youth outcomes (Schmid & Lopez, 2011; Snyder et
al., 1997; Snyder et al., 2000; Valle et al., 2006) It is noted as “a potent predictor of quality of
life and other positive outcome domains in a wide range of health conditions” and an “important
health outcome in its own right” (Schrank et al., 2011, p. 427). Defined by Snyder and
colleagues (1991) as “a positive motivational state that is based on an interactively derived sense
of successful (a) agency (goal-directed energy) and (b) pathways (planning to meet goals)” (p.
91). This cognitive-motivational construct understood through goals, pathways, and agency has
been found to be correlated to mental health for children and adults (Snyder et al., 1997; Snyder
et al., 2000; Valle et al., 2006). While traditionally depicted as an individual cognitive construct,
hope much like resilience cannot be interpreted as a trait that is innate to a select subset of youth.
Hope as learned construct must be understood as an intervention and resource to be utilized in
supporting resilience to occur.

34
Hope is especially important for those who encounter unpredictable and uncontrollable
circumstances (Snyder et al., 1991). Stephenson’s (1991) systematic review led her to formulate
a definition of hope which she concluded as “a process of anticipation that involves the
interaction of thinking, acting, feeling, and relating, and is directed toward a future fulfillment
that is personally meaningful” (p. 1459). As a predictor of positive mental health and well being,
hope research has focused on characteristics such as self-esteem, optimism, self-efficacy,
positive affect, and social well-being (social relationships, interactions, and satisfaction) in
adolescents (Barnum et al., 1998; Edwards et al., 2007; Esteves et al., 2013; Mahat & Scoloveno,
2001; Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Snyder et al., 1991). Seen as a positive internal resource, hope
can function as a facilitator for positive adaption and as a buffer and protective mechanism
against stressors (Snyder et al., 1991). Furthermore, hope must be understood beyond a notion of
wishful thinking but as a dynamic psychological concept and process which is grounded in
reality and possibilities to be directed and applied within youth’s multitiered systems despite
uncertainty. During a period of great uncertainty, I am interested to understand the role and
potentiality of hope for youth during this time.
Associations between adolescent hope and emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing have all been explored within the literature in relation to mental health to some degree. In a
short-term longitudinal study of middle and high school students, Valle and colleagues (2006)
concluded that Snyder’s hope construct played a functional role in psychological well-being and
strength in youth. Youth who reported higher levels of hope as measured by Snyder’s Hope
Scale (Synder et al., 1991) were less at risk for experiencing increases in internalizing behavior
problems and reductions in life satisfaction when confronted with adverse life events and in
some cases predicted life satisfaction up to two years later (Marques et al., 2011; Marques et al.,

35
2013; Valle et al., 2006). High hope scores in school aged students have also been found to be
correlated with positive social interactions, self-esteem, optimism, and academic achievement
(Snyder, Cheavens et al., 1997; Snyder et al., 1997). Similarly, hope scores in youth have been
found to be positively correlated with global life satisfaction (Valle et al., 2004) and inversely
correlated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors (Valle et al., 2006). These quantitative
findings are essential to our understanding of hope, but qualitative research is needed to further
uncover the meaning of hope as a resource for youth.
Consistently, the existing research findings are indicative of a strong negative relation
between hope and depression and negative affect states amongst youth (Ciarrochi et al., 2015;
Geiger & Kwon, 2010; Simon et al., 2009; Swanston et al., 1999; Wong & Lim, 2009). The work
of Ciarrochi and colleagues (2015) explored the significant decline of trait hope during early
adolescence in a large sample of grade 7-12 Australians in a series of longitudinal studies (see
also Heaven & Ciarrochi, 2008). Hopelessness is a central variable linked to depression and
suicidality (Beck et al., 1975; Rosellini & Bagge, 2014). This is particularly true in the case of
youth who reported lower levels of hope and reported suffering from both academic and
generalized anxiety and higher levels of depressive symptoms (Onwuegbuzie, 1998; Snyder et
al., 1998; Visser et al., 2013). This negative relation between psychological well-being and hope
has also been accompanied by related findings indicating higher risk-taking behaviors such as
smoking, substance abuse, and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts correlated with lower levels
of hope amongst adolescents (Carvajal et al., 1998; Chang et al., 2015; Wilson et al., 2005).
Understanding that less hope is linked to more depression and more hope is connected to greater
positive states underscores the critical urgency of my research in understanding the multilevel
contextual factors that facilitate and foster hope amongst youth in order to promote well-being.

36
Approaching these questions using a qualitative methodology addresses the need to explore
youth’s experiences and perspectives in order to capture their unique rich accounts and
interpretations of hope in the context of adversity.
According to Snyder et al. (1991), individuals who have high hope tend to appraise
stressors as more challenging (as opposed to more threatening), allowing them to have
motivation and the ability to find solutions to alleviate stressful feelings and navigate major life
stressors. Pedrotti et al. (2008) argue that hope functions as a mediator between risk and
protective factors, well-being and mental health, and academic achievement particularly in the
case of neurodiverse learners (Al-Yagon & Margalit, 2018; Idan & Margalit, 2012). In its
connection to well-being, hope has been found to predict well-being for youth amidst transitions
such as beginning high school (Ciarrochi et al., 2015). The negative relation between
psychological well-being and hope has also been accompanied by findings indicating higher risktaking behaviors such as smoking, substance abuse, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, and
lower levels of hope amongst youth (Carvajal et al., 1998; Chang et al., 2015; Wilson et al.,
2005). This is particularly true in the case of youth who reported lower levels of hope and
simultaneously reported suffering from both academic and generalized anxiety and higher levels
of depressive symptoms (Onwuegbuzie, 1998; Snyder et al., 1998; Visser et al., 2013). To better
inform practice and theory of hope it is necessary that these findings be complemented by and
expanded upon with qualitative research such as mine.
Walker et al. (2012) found that children who experienced the 2007 flood in Hull,
England, who engaged in opportunities to reframe their situation and focus on positive outcomes
through play and other home and school activities, fared better. Following Hurricane Katrina,
Nelson (2008) found that youth resilience was influenced by the ability to maintain a positive

37
attitude, ask for and receive help, and solve problems amongst participants aged 13 to 17 years
old (n=83). Hope may function as a valuable resource in the face of the many challenges
associated with the COVID-19 pandemic (Laslo-Roth et al., (2021). In exploring the relations
between hope, quarantine, loneliness, and psychological distress, Laslo-Roth et al. (2021)
identified the function of hope as a predictor of decreased distress and loneliness highlighting the
meaningful role of hope during stress and uncertainty. My study seeks to complement what we
already know about hope and further contribute to a richer understanding of hope through a
qualitative approach.
While studies exploring causal relationships between hope and mental health in youth
remain sparse, it is evident that hope has the potential to act as a positive resource in the face of
challenges and adversity. Social distancing measures and COVID-19 prevention protocols
restricted youth from utilizing the valuable resources and processes necessary to coping and
doing well such as extra curriculars, face to face connection and family. Hope as a resource is a
valuable resource for enhancing well-being when other resources are not available. Hope
research has been predominantly focused on studying adults; few studies have highlighted the
role of hope in developing adolescents and children. This is why it is important to ask the youth
in my study about hope (Jiang et al., 2018). Researchers such as Valle et al. (2006) have called
for further studies to explore the interaction between hope and different life experiences in order
to fully understand hope as a psychological strength. Jiang and colleagues (2018) call for action
to further investigate the role of hope not only in youth mental health but the mental health of
specific adolescent populations such as those with co-occurring mental health and learning
challenges.

38
Understanding how youth cultivated and were supported to infuse hope in different
contexts can inform our ideas of how to foster good mental health across multiple processes and
systems. For this reason, exploring hope has been prioritized in this research. In particular, it will
be of importance to explore in this research the relationship between parents’ and children’s hope
and different multisystemic influences operating to influence youths' development and wellbeing. In times of uncertainty and adversity, such as that of a global health pandemic, hope can
act as buffer to protect against negative outcomes including poor mental health.
Resilience and Family
While sparse, systematic reviews centered on resilience and youth have highlighted key
factors linked to positive adaptation in the face of adversity exposure such as close relationships,
psychological skills and capacities, and community-based supports (Gartland et al., 2019;
Masten, 2014b; Masten, et al., 2015; Meng et al., 2018; Wright et al., 2013). One of the most
empirically supported ways to foster resilience and promote good mental health in youth is to
support good family functioning and care (Masten et al., 2015; Walsh, 2006). Nested in the
relational developmental system, the family itself is understood as a developing system that can
show health, competence, vulnerabilities, and resilience (Masten, 2014a). In the face of
adversity, positive parenting and family functioning may act as a buffer, protecting children’s
mental health and development (Masten et al., 2015; Walsh, 2006). No single model of health
functioning fits all families or their situations, thus functioning must be assessed in context,
relative to family structure, values, culture, relational resources, and life challenges. Optimal
family functioning and well-being varies over time as challenges emerge and children develop,
and families evolve. There is no typology of traits of a “resilience family” rather, there are
mutually interactive dynamic processes involving strengths and resources that members can

39
mobilize within their family system and in transaction with their social environment (Walsh,
2006).
According to Masten (2014a) “effective families” are “responsive, open, and flexible;
connected to the community; active in problem solving; and providing age- appropriate
autonomy to their children” (p. 203). A study conducted during the pandemic in May 2020 and
November 2020 identified that exposure to family stressor factors (e.g., family stress and
inequality of online homeschooling) were positively associated with the instability of negative
emotions (e.g., tension and depression fluctuations) for youth (Green et al., 2021). This
highlights the importance of a contextual and processual approach to mental health being taken
up in this study.
Literature on resilience and the family highlights several adaptive processes that families
nurture and facilitate in order to cultivate resilience and positive development in youth (Masten
et al., 2015; Walsh, 2006). These include family cohesion (Walsh, 2006) and secure attachments
(Bandura, 1997), meaning making and beliefs (Walsh, 2006), routines and rituals (Masten &
Shaffer, 2006; Spagnola & Fiese, 2007; Walsh, 2006) and cultural traditions (Harkness & Super,
2020; Masten, 2014b; Ungar, 2012; Ungar et al., 2012). As contextual protective influences,
family functioning, parent-child relationships, parent management skills and family cohesion are
necessary to promoting youth well-being (Harris et al., 2019; Masten & Palmer, 2019; Meng et
al., 2018). Research in the field of family and resilience is largely quantitative thus, my study’s
qualitative approach supports a deeper understanding of how to strengthen families during
adversity.
Positive parenting behaviors such as nurturing, warmth, listening, appreciation, pride,
monitoring, knowledge of daily activities, friendship, behaviors, and establishing curfews have

40
commonly been found in the literature to act as crucial protective factors with adolescents with
learning disabilities (Majorano et al., 2016). Youth reports of parental monitoring and support
have been linked in the literature to positive outcomes under high-risk situations (Egeland et al.,
1993). In summary, positive parenting behaviors function and influence youth positively in the
development and promotion of well-being and resilience. Within the context of the pandemic and
strenuous social distancing measures, it is essential to hear from youth how their families faired
but also how resilience was fostered within their family relationships and interactions.
While research by Kim-Cohen and Turkewitz (2012) has drawn attention to the role of
epigenetic influence on resilience in children, recent evidence has emphasized the importance of
gene-environment interactions in relation to resilience and family (Masten et al., 2015). It was
demonstrated by Fisher et al. (2006), who showed that effectively trained foster parents were
able to normalize dysregulated stress systems of children who had been impacted biologically by
adverse experiences. In considering the impact of family on resilience, a systematic review
exploring factors that benefit youth mental health post adversity found six family level resilience
factors to significantly reduce the risk of mental health concerns (Fritz et al., 2018). These
included high family cohesion, positive family climate, immediate family support, extended
family support, positive parenting, and parental involvement (Fritz et al., 2018). My qualitative
approach will add explanation and depth to understanding these processes.
A study investigating the extent to which parent attachment relationships would predict
resiliency amongst 245 (92 men, 153 women) young adults found that higher levels of resilience
were predicted by higher levels of positive mother relationship, lower levels of negative father
relationship, and higher levels of close attachment, providing evidence for the long-term effect of
parent–child relationships during childhood (Kennison & Spooner, 2020). Kim and Cicchetti’s

41
(2004) study examined the concurrent and longitudinal relations of mother-child relationship
quality, self-esteem, social competence, and maladjustment among maltreated (n=206) and nonmaltreated (n=139) school-aged children from low-income families. The results from this study
supported the importance of secure mother-child relationship quality as it was found to be
negatively related to internalizing symptomatology and externalizing symptomology with
regards to self-esteem. Noting the predominant focus on the western ideal of family, and
motherhood, these findings raised critical questions for me regarding the consideration for
cultural social dimensions within resilience literature. Luthar (2006) exemplified the role of
contrasting perceptions of styles of monitoring and regulating of youth behavior by parents,
attributing difference to influenced by race, socioeconomic status, and geography. Shaped by
social and environmental conditions, resilience is a context specific process, so what may be
perceived as protective for one youth may not be for another.
Hope and Family. Hope is best understood as a learned construct in which children
develop and mirror from their significant adult role models such as their teachers and parents.
From this perspective, one could hypothesize that levels of hope in youth are correlated to those
of their caregivers, but findings have been mixed in this area (Jiang et al., 2018). Hoy et al.,
(2012) and Westburg and Martin (2003) found non-significant associations between parents’ and
children's hope. This was contradicted in the findings associated with Portuguese students by
Marques and Lopez (2014) who found a moderate positive association between the two. When
exploring family cohesion and social support, Merkaš and Brajša-Žganec (2011) examined
children (n=298) with high hope. When compared to children with low hope, those with higher
hope reported greater support from others and higher levels of family cohesion (Merkaš &
Brajša-Žganec, 2011). While the theory of hope suggests that it is learned over time throughout

42
the course of a child’s life, empirical support for parental role in teaching components such as
creating goals, pathway and agentic thinking remains mixed and further research is necessary
(Snyder et al., 1997). My study will address this gap in the literature and contribute to better
understanding the youth’s contextual experiences of hope and resilience throughout the COVID19 pandemic.
Resilience and School
Within broader communities are adaptive systems of collective efficacy, social cohesion,
effective schools, and robust resources for health care, social services, and policy (Masten,
2014a). Common protective factors associated with resilience and systems have been described
in resilience literature (Berkes & Ross, 2013). Social ecologies (e.g., family, neighborhoods,
government, and cultural practices) are as influential as (individual) psychological aspects of
development. Resilience is a process facilitated by families, schools, and communities (Masten,
2014a).
Understanding youth developmental potentials and assets is vital to promoting their
mental health, overall well-being, and in turn academic and developmental success. The relation
between good mental health and good school functioning is evident as was demonstrated in the
systematic reviews of Aldridge and McChesney (2018) and McPherson et al. (2014). These
reviews demonstrated the critical relationship between youth mental health and well-being and
school environment. Positive relationships with both educators and peers, positive perceptions of
school safety, and positive views of belonging and connectedness within the school environment
were found to be associated with positive mental well-being (Aldridge & McChesney, 2018).
Further to this, those who attended schools with positive social environments demonstrated
lower internalizing behaviors such as anxiety and depression (McPherson et al., 2014). Mental

43
health and well-being for youth has been significantly affected due to the ongoing COVID-19
pandemic (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020; Findlay & Arim, 2020; Racine et al., 2020; Xie
et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020). While quantitative research has established that youth mental
health has been impacted by the global pandemic, there is a paucity of qualitative research which
is needed to be able to support youth right now as well as to reduce the long-term impact of this
global crisis.
Schools as an ecology offer many ideal opportunities for supportive action in which
resilience can be cultivated and individual strengths and assets of youth can be fostered.
Resilience is not in the person or the context but in their connection and relation to each other. In
times of change and stress, social support has been found to act as a fundamental academic
resource for youth (Wang & Eccles, 2012). The loss of in person interactions gained from school
resulted in the loss of many protective factors available through these means. Schools operate as
mesosystemic interactions for youth in helping them navigate their own resources towards
positive development (Ungar, 2012).
The literature has demonstrated how schools contribute to the process of resilience for
youth (Doll & Cummings, 2008; Masten, 2014a; Theron, 2016) which has been further
supplemented by findings highlighting the way in which schools facilitate access to social
ecological resources, such as access to material resources, experiencing social justice,
meaningful relationships, experiences of personal and collective agency, in order to promote
resilience (Kumpulainen et al., 2016; Tatlow-Golden et al. 2015; Theron & Theron 2014). These
findings are important to note, as it is not simply the existence of the school ecology that enacts a
process of resilience for youth, but youths’ ability to access multiple social ecological resources
while at school (Hines et al., 2005). In exploring the role of the school environment, it must be

44
understood by a way of intentional interventions, approaches, and processes. Ungar et al. (2007)
emphasized seven key social ecological resources (1) access to material resources; (2) access to
supportive relationships; (3) development of a desirable personal identity; (4) experiences of
power and control; (5) adherence to cultural traditions; (6) experiences of social justice; and (7)
experiences of social cohesion with others-that schools can facilitate through a multisystemic
coordinated approach to cultivate resilience across individual, relational, and contextual
resources (Bierman et al. 2008; Webster-Stratton et al. 2008). As we navigate thus uncharted
territory of COVID-19 it is essential that we question the complex multi-tiered role of schools
within the context of an ecologically based inquiry. There is a need to explore how youth’s
individual differences respond and require different socio ecological resources and factors in
order to promote resilience in times of adversity.
Hope and Schools. The application of hope and resilience promoting processes within
the educational system creates opportunities for youth to enhance mental health and wellbeing amidst a global health pandemic. Infusing hope into schools can enhance youth well-being
and educational support for students in K-12 educational settings by promoting mental health
while focusing on educational strengths (Pedrotti, 2018). The link between hope, youth wellbeing, and academic achievement has been supported by the literature (Ciarrochi et al., 2007;
Marques et al., 2017; Pedrotti et al., 2008). Ciarrochi and colleagues (2007) found that hope is
the strongest predictor of positive affect and academic achievement in children. Hope supports
academic achievement both directly (as seen in correlations to grade point averages) and
indirectly, through its relation to other characteristics that support positive academic outcomes,
such as self-efficacy and optimism (Snyder et al., 2003). As a protective factor there is evidence
to indicate hope’s role in personal and social goal development (Chang, 1998; Kwon, 2000;

45
Snyder et al., 1999, 2000), academic performance (Gallup, 2009; Marques et al., 2009; Snyder,
2002), scholastic competence and dropout rates (McDermott et al., 2000; Onwuegbuzie & Daley,
1999; Worrell & Hale, 2001), and career-development skills (Barnett, 2021; Diemer & Blustein,
2007; Super, 1980). The relationship between hope, youth well-being, and academic
achievement has been demonstrated predominately by quantitative measures. While valuable,
qualitative inquiry like mine is necessary to thoroughly uncover a meaningful ecological
understanding of the processes and interactions that facilitate and nourish hope for youth while
school and learning has been altered by the pandemic.
In Marques and colleagues (2017) meta-analysis of the relationship between hope and
academic achievement (N=9250), it was found that hope was related to numerous positive
outcomes that are influenced by educational experiences such as higher self-esteem, overall life
satisfaction, and lower rates of behavior difficulties. Findings also reveal the role of hope in
predicting academic based behaviors and outcomes in that it operated as a component of one’s
willingness to perform. Leeson and colleagues (2008) uncovered the impact of hope on student
success and persistence in school in their three-year longitudinal study examining grades and
positive thinking variables amongst high school students (n=639). It was found that hope,
positive attributional style, and cognitive ability predicted higher grades (Leeson et al., 2008).
The evidence for hope as an enhancing factor in youth well-being and educational success is
clearly outlined in the literature and more qualitative research is needed meaningfully understand
the processes and interactions that foster hope.
COVID-19 Health Pandemic and Youth Mental Health
Disasters have played a salient role in the origins and evolution of the research on
resilience in children (Masten, 2014a). Studies on isolated catastrophes affecting children began

46
to document the effects of acute onset, unexpected mass-trauma events on children. The COVID19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the lives of many, and youth have not escaped the
numerous pandemic-related mental health concerns and risks to well-being. Pandemic-related
mental health risks for youth are accumulated by evolving social distancing measures,
educational and social disruptions, strained systems of care such as families and mental health
supports, socio-ecological impacts of the pandemic and environmental factors such as sociodemographics, and individual social networks and social support (Fegert et al., 2020). Close to
half the world’s students continue to be impacted by school closures and social distancing
measures. By January 2022, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural
Organization (UNESCO) had reported 10,481,082 affected learners. Whether by partial or full
closures, an average of two-thirds of in person learning has been lost by pandemic closures,
resulting in impacted overall development and academic progression particularly those from
disadvantaged backgrounds (Morgan et al., 2019; The Organisation for Economic Co-operation
and Development, 2021). While youth have had to experience learning from new and unique
hybrid approaches of delivery, their lives have been disrupted and this is an influential factor in
considering youth mental health during the pandemic.
COVID-19 and Emergency Remote Teaching
In contrast to experiences that are planned from the beginning and designed to be online,
emergency remote teaching (ERT) is a temporary shift of instructional delivery to an alternate
delivery mode due to crisis circumstances (Hodges et al., 2020). It involves the use of fully
remote teaching solutions for instruction or education that would otherwise be delivered face-toface or as blended or hybrid courses and that will return to that format once the crisis or
emergency has abated. The primary objective in these circumstances is not to re-create a robust

47
educational ecosystem but rather to provide temporary access to instruction and instructional
supports in a manner that is quick to set up and reliably available during an emergency or crisis.
When we understand ERT in this manner, we can start to divorce it from online learning.
Since the onset of the pandemic, researchers have found that youth experienced
worsening mental health conditions (compared to other age groups) (Findlay & Arim, 2020).
Cross sectional studies examining youth mental health and well-being prior to the pandemic and
during the initial phase highlight the elevating rates of mental health concerns for young people
(Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020; Racine et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020).
Mental well-being is a “dynamic state in which the individual is able to develop to their
potential, work productively and creatively, build strong and positive relationships with others
and contribute to the community” (Foresight Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project, 2008, p. 45).
Thus, it is necessary that youth perspectives be understood from the perspective of uncovering
the processes necessary to facilitate and promote good mental health and well-being for all youth
which my study aims to do.
The research relevant to this study is based on several cross-sectional pandemic data sets
which have been dependent on retrospective recall approaches, non-representative samples,
snowball sampling techniques, and the use of online questionnaires or symptom scales
(Vaillancourt et al., 2021). To date, there remains no Canadian population-based longitudinal
study of youth mental health and the pandemic. While current international and national
longitudinal studies suggest a worsening of mental health in relation to the pandemic, more
research using qualitative and mixed methods approaches is still necessary to understand the
complexity of the role of the pandemic to youth well-being and resilience.
International Youth Mental Health and COVID-19

48
Data collected during the early phases of COVID-19 internationally suggested an
increase in depressive and anxiety symptoms and a decline in mental health and well-being in
youth (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020; Tang et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2020). Just two weeks
after the World Health Organization announced the onset of COVID-19, research began to
emerge highlighting the detrimental impact on this age group (Liang et al., 2020). This initial
international research indicated heightened rates of anxiety, depression, and stress symptoms in
populations as young as six years old consistently, with rates increasing into older adolescence
particularly with regards to depression (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al., 2020; Tang et al., 2021;
Zhou et al., 2020). Between 30-40% of students aged 12 to 18 years old experienced some
combination of anxiety and depressive symptoms (Zhou et al., 2020). Chinese researchers Liang
et al., (2020) found older youth (21-30 years old) demonstrated symptoms of post-traumatic
stress (14%). While there were many unknowns during this time, these findings indicate an
instant increase in anxious and depressive symptoms during the commencement of COVID-19
and government-imposed emergency response systems.
An international longitudinal study of youth aged 9-18 years old (N=1339) by Barendse
et al. (2021) sought to explore changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to
during the first six months of the pandemic. Their findings indicated depression symptoms
increased significantly (median increase= 28%) and anxiety symptoms remained stable in the
first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. In Europe during the initial stages of the pandemic,
researchers explored the emotional well-being of Italian and Spanish children between 3 and 18
years old who were in quarantine as a measure imposed by governments. Parents reported on
their children’s emotional states and behaviors during quarantine (Orgiles et al., 2020). The most
frequent symptoms were difficulty concentrating (76.6%), boredom (52%), irritability (39%),

49
restlessness (38.8%), nervousness (38%), feelings of loneliness (31.3%), uneasiness (30.4%),
and worries (30.1%). Children of both countries spent less time doing physical activity and slept
more hours during the quarantine. Furthermore, family coexistence during quarantine became
more difficult, the situation was more serious, and the level of stress was higher. Additionally,
parents tended to report more emotional problems in their children (Orgiles et al., 2020). Similar
findings from Zhang et al., 2021 indicated heightened anxiety and depressive symptoms from
students in grades 2 through 6 and linked them to reduced outdoor activities and social
interactions (Zhang et al., 2021).
A systematic review found that 63 of the 83 included studies documented the negative
impact of loneliness on the mental health of previously healthy children and adolescents (Loades
et al., 2020). Preexisting mental health disorders, loneliness, and psychological suffering
associated with remote learning have been found to be associated with youth suicidality during
this period (Manzar et al., 2021). Findings offered reasonable belief that school closures and
social distancing measures may position youth to feel increased feelings of loneliness and
therefore increased mental health problems for children and youth who are already at higher risk
for experiencing mental health concerns (Loades et al., 2020). In four major US regions, 14- to
17-year-olds perceived declines in friendship support, more conflicts with friends and family,
depressive symptoms, and a lack of privacy and personal space (Rogers et al., 2021). Of a rapid
systematic review of 80 studies, 63 demonstrated the impact of social isolation and loneliness on
the mental health of previously reported health children and youth (n=51,576; mean age 15.3
years). Only a few months into the pandemic, international findings began to raise many
questions about what long term impacts this global health pandemic would have on youth and
their families.

50
Canadian Youth Mental Health and COVID-19
In Canada, 5.7 million children and youth attending elementary and secondary school
have been impacted by pandemic related school closures (Statistics Canada, 2021). Similar to
international findings of elevated anxiety, depression, stress symptoms and worsening youth
mental health during the initial phase of the pandemic, Canadian youth data highlighted the evergrowing impact to well-being. A StatsCan survey data indicated a mental health decline between
2018 and 2020 which was particularly striking amongst youth ages 15 to 24 years old. This
population saw a drop in self-reported mental health status from 62% reporting excellent or very
good mental health in 2018 compared to 42% reported excellent or very good mental health
during the pandemic (Findlay & Arim., 2020). A Canadian study of 184 youth at four different
time points over the course of two years before the pandemic, and again during the pandemic,
found that anxiety and depression scores were significantly higher than previous expected (De
France et al., 2021). COVID-19’s consequences beyond that of physical health, and unfortunate
circumstances related to social distancing and isolation measures, housing instability, food
insecurity, impacted employment and financial insecurity, and challenges with child and
disproportionate caregiving all contributed to peoples worsening mental health (Van Lancker &
Parolin, 2020).
Parallel to their international counter parts, Canadian youth also experienced feelings
associated with the uncertainty of the virus and its role on their day to day lives. Youth reported
feeling “very or extremely concerned” about the impact of COVID-19 on the health of
vulnerable people as was demonstrated by 87% of youth respondents, of which approximately
21% were very or extremely concerned about their own health (Arim et al., 2020). COVID-19related concerns were highest amongst younger groups (ages 15-34), additionally, rates of

51
anxiety differed according to generational group with the highest rates of clinically significant
anxiety and COVID-19 related concerns among younger groups such as millennials (ElGabalawy & Sommer, 2021). Greater stress from social isolation, including both the cancellation
of important events and the loss of in-person social interactions, has been strongly associated
with mental health deterioration (Cost et al., 2021). These findings illuminate the importance of
considering general differences when investigating youth’s experiences within this profound
global pandemic. Not unlike the physical health consequences, the pandemic reaffirmed how
mental health and well-being are shaped by social determinants of health in Canada (Jenkins et
al., 2021).
A Canadian large cross-sectional study of children and youth (age 6–18 years for parent
reports and 10–18 years for self-reports) examined the impact of COVID-19 emergency
measures on child/adolescent mental health for children/adolescents with and without preexisting psychiatric diagnoses. Findings indicated that a large majority of children and youth
experienced harm to their mental health during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (Cost
et al., 2021). While 67%–70% of children and youth experienced deterioration in at least one
mental health domain, it was interesting to note that 19-31% experienced improvement in at least
one domain (Cost et al., 2021). These findings speak to the need further explore the context in
which improvements and resilience occurred and what lessons and revelations about key
adaptive processes can and could be useful, particularly within the context of noteworthy
adversity such as the COVID-19 health pandemic. Our inquiry needs to be centered on what
helped and supported youth to do well and thrive during these unpresented conditions, as a way
of informing future positive youth development and resilience interventions. While mental health
deterioration was prevalent for those with and without preexisting diagnosis, rates of

52
deterioration were higher in those with a pre-exiting diagnosis (Cost et al., 2021). Similarly,
Hawke et al. (2020) found a total of 68.4% of Canadian youth in their clinical sample and 39.9%
in their community sample that met screening criteria for an internalizing disorder. Critical
attention needs to be drawn to those who are already disproportionately impacted by mental
health or disability, income, ethnicity, sexuality, or gender to be able to capitalize on the ability
to power up their capacity for adaptation under these challenging conditions.
While many international and Canadian studies on mental health are exposing the impact
of COVID-19 on mental health from a psychiatric and clinical standpoint, it is necessary that
COVID-19’s impact also be understood from the voices and experiences of youth directly.
Recently released crowdsourced data of Canadian youth supports these findings, exposing a
decline of perceived mental health during the pandemic, with over half (57%) of participants
aged 15 to 17 reporting that their mental health was somewhat worse or much worse than it was
prior to the implementation of physical distancing measures (Statistics Canada Canadian Health
Survey on Children and Youth, 2019). In the largest and most detailed nation-wide COVID-19
survey to-date among the 12–17-year-old population in Canada, 72 % of girls reported feeling
sad often or sometimes since the outbreak, and 55% of boys reported the same. Those 15-17
years old showed higher levels of outbreak-related sadness, with 72% reporting sadness often or
sometimes versus 59 % of those aged 12 to 14. A large majority of respondents reported feelings
of happiness “often or sometimes” since the outbreak began, 89% for 12- to 14-year-olds and
84% for 15- to 17-year-olds (Association for Canadian Studies, 2020). These findings offer a
glimpse into the COVID-19 impact to youth, but they overlook the value of capturing the
experiences from the voices of the youth themselves. As researcher, I want to know what life
was like for these 72% of girls and 55% of boys who felt sad, what and how this was

53
experienced, what did youth have to say about what was helpful and what they needed during
these unique times.
The emerging Canadian literature on youth experiences has highlighted themes of
boredom, worry, and sadness amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and imposed remote learning.
This was the case in the findings of two cross-sectional studies conducted in the spring of 2020
and the fall of 2020 on over 2000 children and youth aged 9–16 years (Vaillancourt et al., 2021).
Elevated feelings of boredom (34%), worry (27%), and sadness (15%) during the pandemic were
noted. Similar trends were reported amongst Canadians ages 12-24 years old (n=137) between
April 2020 and June 2020. The main challenges found for participants included feeling isolated
and lonely (48%), followed by closures of in-person schools and moving to remote learning
(33%) (Mental Health Commission of Canada, 2021). A study executed by Angus Reid Institute
(2020) canvassed children aged 10 to 17 years across the country about their thoughts,
expectations, and concerns. The most reported feeling amongst the youth was “bored” (71%).
Furthermore, older youth (16–17-year-olds) were twice as likely as their younger counterparts to
report feeling “lonely” or “angry”. When considering the theoretical framework that guides this
research study, there is an obvious tension between what we know to be beneficial for youth
when they are embedded in relationships, contexts, and ecologies that nurture their development
and what seems to have been taken from them during COVID-19 (Benson et al., 2006). The very
nature of social distancing measures, shifts to emergency remote teaching, and isolation and
quarantine periods contradicts what we know about how ecologies actively foster positive
pathways for development processes and what youth need. Now more than ever, it is so
important to create opportunities within systems like academia to meaningfully engage and
amplify youth’s voices about their experiences and opinions.

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Vulnerable Youth Mental Health and COVID-19
Broader literature suggests that COVID-19 will have a greater adverse effect on those
experiencing other health, social, and structural inequities related to gender, sexual orientation,
and mental health and disability status (Douglas et al., 2020). These vulnerabilities often
intersect, contributing to compounding inequities and risk. Young refugees, youth living in rural
areas, Indigenous, racialized people and ethnic minority youth, young persons with disabilities,
and young people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities are at greater risk of the
pandemic and its impacts (United Nations, n.d.).
As highlighted by Canadian scholar Carl James (2020), “the pandemic has not only added
to the social and educational inequalities among young people, but it has also exacerbated the
racial injustice with which racialized and Indigenous youth must content” (p. 1). Like physical
health, mental health and the consequences of poor mental health are often influenced by social
determinants of health as is seen in racialized, Indigenous and impoverished communities
(Laurencin & McClinton, 2020; Poteat et al., 2020). Multiracial youth of “low socioeconomic
status, migration background and limited living space” under lock down restrictions were most
negatively impacted (Ravens-Sieberer et al., 2022). While emergency school closures could have
been anticipated to impact many children and youth, those from low-income households were
particularly susceptible to the adverse effects that economic inequality posed in their access to
things such as stable internet and electronic devices necessary to continue with remote learning
(Korczak et al., 2022). This innate response to shit to emergency remote teaching during initial
pandemic lock downs was systematically oppressive and inequitable.
Consistent with these findings a Canadian study of children and youth (age 6–18 years
for parent reports and 10–18 years for self-reports), found the rates of deterioration were greatest

55
for those with a pre-existing diagnosis and among children who perceived greater stress from
being socially isolated (Cost et al., 2021). This decline was also noted in other studies of youth
with neurodevelopmental conditions (Sciberras et al., 2022; Theis et al., 2021), those with preexisting mental health problems, as well as other pre-existing vulnerabilities like physical health
problems (Hawke et al., 2020), and those living in adverse socio-economic circumstances
(Whitehead et al., 2021) and in racialized communities (Ezell et al., 2021).
While sparse, there have been some cross-sectional findings to indicate that the first six
months of the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on the mental health of neurodivergent
learners such as those with the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other special educational
needs and disabilities (Asbury et al., 2020; Asbury & Toseeb, 2023; Banerjee et al., 2020;
Nonweiler et al., 2020). Common themes of experiencing loss, worry and changes in mood,
emotion, and behavior because of the rapid social changes that occurred were present amongst
this population (Asbury et al., 2020). The notion of not knowing what was going on was
expressed by some to be a point of distress for children and an exasperating factor in challenging
behavior, thus findings were indicative of better understandings being associated with better
outcomes.
Among Canadians aged 15- to 24-years-old, a mental health-related disability has the
highest rate of co-occurrence with learning disabilities (Statistics Canada, 2012). Children and
adolescents with identified neurodevelopmental disorders, are at higher risk for mental health
concerns (Wilson et al., 2009). These learning and behavioral disabilities are most encountered
in an educational context, encompassing the largest proportion of disability categories in schools.
The literature highlights a critical relationship between those of marginalized populations and
their exposure to differences in power, gender role dynamics, racism, oppression and health

56
disparities and the impact on ongoing experiences of shame and isolation felt by these
populations posing greater risk of psychological and emotional harm (Comstock et al., 2008).
Current qualitative research that captures multiple perspectives on youth mental health in
educational contexts is lacking. In an attempt to contribute to this gap in the literature, my study
will explore the experiences of youth who self-identify as having co-occurring learning and
mental health difficulties.
Educational disruptions and COVID-19
Concerns about school-related challenges for youth is emerging in the current research as
the COVID-19 pandemic unfolds. Interruptions such as emergency remote teaching may lead to
the disengagement of youth learners as was found in an Italian study of students. In the study,
28% of students reported knowing at least one classmate who was no longer attending school
(Save the Children, 2021). We know that for those who are experiencing mental health concerns
their potential of leaving school earlier is even greater making the COVID-19 imposed home
learning protocols significant factors is negative outcomes for youth. A single qualitative study
of American youth found that participants’ greatest challenge during the pandemic was related to
academic work habits such as school motivation and time management (Scott et al., 2021). This
was mirrored in the findings of Angus Reid Institute (2020) with 75% of their youth participants
reporting 60% feeling unmotivated, 57% disliking their learning arrangements and 29%
reporting feeling worried about missing school (Angus Reid Institute, 2020). Similarly, a study
exploring Canadian high school students found that 72% were “very much worried” about how
COVID-19 would impact their school year (Ellis et al., 2020).
Lessard and Puhl’s (2021) study captured the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on
academic related worries and motivation amongst a sample of 452 youth in the USA

57
(Mage=14.9, SDage=2.1). Finding that worries such as “not being able to motivate yourself to do
schoolwork,” and “not being able to focus on schoolwork” were common. In this same sample
69% reported a decrease in communication with their teachers since the beginning of the
pandemic particularly in the case of middle school aged students (76%) followed by high school
students (64%). Worries of poorer learning and academic outcomes also contributed to elevated
reports of anxiety alongside academic worries associated with their future (college transitions)
for older youth (Cohen et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021; Scott et al., 2021). A nationally representative
sample of Italian youth also found similar patterns of academic related worries during the
pandemic further highlighting the increased worry about the negative consequences to their
learning (Buzzi et al., 2020). Interesting to note in these instances when youth are reporting
increased worry or concern about the future of their academics, they are in most cases still
involved remotely in school. This raises many questions regarding the quality, effectiveness and
sustainability of emergency remote teaching approaches and the need to adapt in these times of
change. These findings highlight the academic worries related to the COVID-19 pandemic for
youth and also their perceptions of changes to their relationships and the need to better
understand youth’s experiences as the navigate and manage these COVID-19 consequences.
Furthermore, these findings were of particular interest to me as often the rhetoric
surrounding youth is that they do not care about school. These types of narratives discount the
role that schools play in youth’s day-to-day lives and well-being, and it raises the question of
how the school ecology itself will adapt in the face of adversity. While my study’s primary focus
is on youth at the center of a system of bidirectional influences which influence their
development there is a body of work that prioritizes the study of community/cultural resilience
that is worthy of exploration (Bronfenbrenner, 1992; Bronfenbrenner & Morris, 2006; Healy,

58
2006). Understanding schools as a community or culture may posit as beneficial when
conceptualizing how these systems adapted or absorbed the adversity of the COVID-19
pandemic and the consequences and lessons that followed.
Resilience and COVID-19
While evidence quickly began to emerge of elevated levels of mental health problems in
youth during the pandemic so did individual and collective adaptive systems and processes that
engage networks at multiple levels to facilitate resilience and positive development for youth
during this time. Levels of knowledge, and the prevention measures for COVID-19 were found
to buffer against negative mental effects (including online learning, knowledge about the virus,
and smart phone based psychological interventions) (Zhou et al., 2020). Open communication
between children and parents was also found to be an important mediating factor (Tang et al.,
2021). Youth wanted to know what was happening and what that meant for them and their
future. This meant being informed about research-based information regarding the virus, its
transmissibility, and science-based preventions and protection efforts. Pozzoli et al. (2022) found
significant negative associations between students’ difficulties in online classes and both positive
home climate and higher perceived teacher closeness amongst 181 Italian middle school students
(97 girls and 86 boys; Mage=11 years, 9 months; SDage=8 months; range: 11–14 years) before
(November 2019) and during pandemic closures (May 2020). These findings contribute to the
social ecological understanding of the role of individual and environmental interactions
particularly in the case of family and school factors. Pozzoli et al. (2022) argue that
conceptualizing the pandemic and youth mental well-being and learning from a transactional
framework emphasize the role of supportive, regulated, relationships at the familial and
academic levels in order to promote both academic and social emotional well-being. These

59
findings are also mirrored in the work of Wright and Wachs (2022), who explored the
moderating effect of perceived teacher support during the self-isolation portion of the pandemic
April 2020 and May 2020) (N=46751% female; Mage=13.47; ages range from 12 to15 years old
from USA). It was found that greater perceived teacher support was a buffer against negative
health outcomes during the imposed home learning highlighting the role of schools and teachers
in mitigating the negative mental health outcomes of youth during these times (Wright & Wachs,
2022).
A survey of youth ages 14-27 years old found nearly half of youth with existing mental
health challenges and 40% of those who have never sought mental health treatment had
experienced improved self-reflection and self-care during the pandemic (Korczak et al., 2022).
Similarly, Cost et al. (2021) found the mental health of some improved (19%–31%) during
COVID-19. Benefits such as spending more time with family, a decline in reported substance
use, having less stress from school and more time to plan future goals, and engaging in hobbies
and relaxation activities have been identified in the emerging COVID-19 literature (Korczak et
al., 2022).
The Association for Canadian Studies (2020) in partnership with Experiences Canada and
the Vanier Institute of the Family have also reported that a majority of youth have experienced
feelings of happiness throughout the pandemic. For example, 90% of 12- to 14-year-olds and
84% of 15- to 17-year-olds have reported being happy often or sometimes. Also, 83% of youth
aged 12–14 years and 75% of youth aged 15–17 years reported having more meaningful
conversations with others throughout the pandemic. Likewise, in the 2020 Statistics Canada
report, youth (15-30 years old) reported several positive health behaviors such as communicating

60
with friends and families (90%), exercising indoors (66%), and outdoors (62%), with young
women reporting higher rates of such (Arim et al., 2020).
These findings strengthen the understanding of the role of social support and connection
in student learning and well-being (Bru et al., 2010; DuBois et al., 1992; Wang & Eccles, 2012;
Wentzel et al., 2010). As stated by Herbers et al. (2021), “resilience occurs when children and
their contexts can adapt to adversity, resulting in positive development” (p. 423). By way of
person-context multisystem transactions (family, school, and community) youth can adapt and
persevere in the face of novel adversity. Understanding how and why these “adaptive systems”
and multilevel factors that contribute to resilience is key to supporting youth positive
development (Masten, 2014a). Simply existing as a system in which youth exist is not enough
for positive youth development let alone the tremendous change and adversity brought forth by
the COVID-19 pandemic. It is critical that we understand what these multi-level interactions
actually do and how they do it in order to enact processes that allot youth the opportunity to act
upon or develop resilience processes in the face of turmoil.
Chapter Summary
Chapter Two provided a literature review of youth mental health and well-being by
reviewing the current scholarly landscape of prevalence and contributing resilience factors.
Furthermore, the review examined the prominent emphasis in the ecological perspective of the
analysis of contextual factors such as family, school, and multi-level resources when youth are
faced with adversity. The current scope of literature reflects a predominantly quantitative
dominated field. While this research provides valuable information about youth’s mental health
experiences, it is restricted by numerical representation and quantitative nature, and further
research such as this study needs to be prioritized in order to compliment what we know about

61
what is happening for youth. At the end of this literature review I summarized the emerging
research on youth mental health and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Next, I turn to Chapter Three to describe my methodology and provide a description of
my qualitative case study and its purpose to explore youth mental health and well-being among
youth in Manitoba during the COVID-19 health pandemic.

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CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH
Qualitative Research
A case study approach was deemed best suited for my thesis because in times of an
unprecedented phenomenon such as the COVID-19 pandemic it is imperative that we explore
how youth with learning and mental health concerns navigated the COVID-19 pandemic beyond
that of quantitative methods, to gain descriptive and contextualized understandings. In-depth and
using multiple forms of data, this qualitative study focuses on the experiences of four youth aged
12 to 17 years old living in Manitoba, Canada, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Divan et al.
(2017) and Creswell (2012) note that there is a widespread uptake of qualitative methods in both
counselling and educational research. Qualitative research allows for in-depth analysis of
complex systems and experiences which cannot be fully captured with measurement scales and
multivariate models (Plano Clark et al., 2008). It is best suited to address a research problem in
which the desired understandings are yet unknown, using words and pictures rather than
numerical depictions (Creswell, 2012; Zabkiewicz & Bassil, 2014). It is worth quoting Creswell
(2012)—a leading proponent in qualitative research—at length about its complexity and layers.
Creswell states:
Qualitative research begins with assumptions and the use of interpretive/theoretical
frameworks that inform the study of research problems addressing the meaning of
individuals and groups ascribe to a social or human problem. To study this problem,
qualitative researchers use an emerging qualitative approach to inquiry, the collection of
data in a natural setting sensitive to the people and places under study, and data analysis
that is both inductive and deductive and establishes patterns or themes. The final written
report or presentation includes the voices of participants, the reflexivity of the researcher,

63
a complex description and interpretation of the problem, and its contribution to the
literature or a call for change (p. 44).
Situated within the Relational Developmental Systems framework which guides the
adoption of conceptual models Positive Youth Development and the Social Ecological
Resilience, this study embraced a qualitative approach to answering the questions of what, how,
and why. My theoretical framework operated as a driver in my use of qualitative research
informing my methodological approach, choices, and actions. Particularly during the initial stage
of the pandemic, scholarly research was inundated by quantitative studies that highlighted ever
growing prevalence of worsening experiences for youth. Qualitative research is necessary to
understand these experiences and prevalence, during this complex phenomenon.
Case Study
To answer the stated research questions (see below), an exploratory holistic case design
was employed. An exploratory holistic case design is described by Yin (2018) as “an empirical
method that investigates a contemporary phenomenon (the ‘case’) in depth and within its realworld context, especially when the boundaries between phenomena and context may not be
clearly evident” (p. 15). This research explored the case of youth learning and mental health of
those with co-occurring difficulties within the context of two different time periods of the
COVID-19 pandemic while schools were significantly impacted by public health protocols.
Creswell (2002) describes a case study as “a problem to be studied, which will reveal an in-depth
understanding of a “case” or bounded system, which involves understanding an event, activity,
process, or one or more individuals” (p. 61). This method of exploration is best suited to
exploring how youth with learning and mental health concerns fared during the COVID-19
pandemic for many reasons, the first of which is the unique and unprecedented nature of the

64
global pandemic and the need to understand the experiences of youth to best support their
resilience. As Yin (2003) states, “…the distinctive need for case studies arises out of the desire to
understand complex social phenomena” (p. 2). Never before have schools, families, and youth
had to adapt to an unprecedented global shift. Understanding complex social and contextual
phenomena and the feelings and impressions of participants is inherently qualitative (Zabkiewicz
& Bassil, 2014).
Understanding the contextual conditions of the phenomena at hand is also quintessential
to case study research. As described by Thomas (2016), “your case study is defined not so much
by the methods that you are using to do the study, but the edges you put around the case” (p. 21).
In the current research, the case is the phenomenon of educational and mental health experiences
for youth with both learning and mental health concerns during COVID-19 when schools were
remote or restricted due to public health protocols that aimed to reduce the spread of COVID-19
virus in Manitoba, Canada, during the first year of the pandemic. Yin (2018) affirms that “case
studies allow you to focus in-depth on a ‘case’ and to retain a holistic and real-world
perspective” (p. 5).
In the process of deeming if this design was appropriate for this study, I considered
whether the case at hand met Yin’s (2018) five criterion for determination, which included
asking if was critical, unusual, common, revelatory, or longitudinal in nature. As we shall see,
exploring time intervals that highlight the development of the phenomena over an extended
period of time will reveal the effects over time. In my research, I interviewed participants at two
different time intervals in the pandemic, initially in May 2020 followed up in May 2021, in order
to further explore the progression and impact of the phenomena at hand.

65
Representing the in-depth descriptions of the complex adaptive systems and processes
that engage networks of systems at multiple levels to facilitate youth resilience and positive
development is critical during these times. This phenomenon is necessary to explore as never
before have schools operated in a forced emergency remote capacity. While youth with mental
health and learning concerns attempted to navigate the nuances of emergency remote learning,
many were also in a position to be at a higher risk for adverse mental health experiences during
the pandemic (Findlay & Arim, 2020; Statistics Canada, 2021).
Research Questions
The overarching research question of the current research is: “How were youth with
learning and mental health concerns in Manitoba experiencing the COVID-19 health pandemic at
two different time periods while schools were significantly impacted by public health
protocols?” My sub questions included:
1. What did youth say about or describe as supportive systems and adaptive capacities
within the child, in relationships with caregivers, families, or friends, and in resources and
capacities provided by families, schools, and community supported youth during the COVID-19
pandemic?
2. What did youth say about how their families faired during the COVID-19 health
pandemic while schools were conducting emergency remote instruction?
3. What was the youth perspective about key processes related to family resilience?
4. What did parents or caregivers notice about key processes that supported their youth
during emergency remote instruction?

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5. What key adaptive systems/processes fostered positive mental health and resilience
during the COVID-19 health pandemic while schools were conducting emergency remote
instruction?
6. What does hope mean for youth during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Research Design
The current research is embedded within a larger project titled, “In-Depth Case Studies of
Families and Teachers Exploring the Co-Occurrence of Youth Learning and Mental Health
Concerns” led by researcher and psychologist, Breanna Lawrence. The study was designed to
gain detailed information and insight into the everyday experiences of youth with learning and
mental health concerns during COVID-19 with youth, their parents or guardians, their educators
and later their siblings. My current research is focused on the sub-sample of youth (n=4) that
were interviewed initially in May 2020 and followed up in May 2021, and their parents (n=4) for
a total of 16 interviews. The descriptive case approach entailed separate interviews with both the
youth and their parent, to gain an in-depth understanding of what it was like for youth during two
different time points in the COVID-19 health pandemic.
Procedures
After institutional human research ethics approval which outlined my involvement as a
research assistant within the above noted larger project, participants were recruited via word of
mouth and social media where recruitment posters were advertised, highlighting the nature of the
research and the participation criteria in the spring of 2020 (see Appendix A). Participants were
invited from Manitoba and both rural and urban centers were included in recruitment. Those who
were interested contacted the researcher directly. Initially nine youth and their nine parents were
interviewed in May 2020.

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Before the interview, parents and/or guardians confirmed the participation criteria and
were informed of the purpose of the study and what would be asked of both their children and
themselves in the interviews. Verbal consent was obtained prior to the audio recording of the
interview and when possible, written (scanned or electronic signature). Following public health
and the Brandon University guidelines, all interviews were held over the phone or video
conference. These interviews typically lasted between 45-90 minutes and were audio-recorded.
Participants were thanked with an emailed $20 e-gift card.
At the end of the initial interview, participants provided consent to be contacted for a
follow up interview invitation in Spring of 2021. Consenting participants were contacted for a
follow up interview invitation. At this time, four youth participants and their parents were
reinterviewed in the same manner. Those four youth participant interviews alongside their four
parent interviews constitute the focus of this research. This is a way of further exploring family
experiences and resilience processes from a multi-informant perspective for youth with learning
and mental health concerns and better understanding youth’s experiences within the context of
imposed remote learning and the COVID-19 health pandemic.
Participants
To gain an in-depth understanding about what it was like for youth, purposive sampling
(Creswell & Plano, 2011) was used to select participants based on preselected criteria of selfidentified learning and mental health concerns in youth ages 12-17 years old. This method of
non-probability sampling is based on the premise that participants are selected based on specific
identified inclusion criteria (Creswell & Plano, 2011). Adopting a purposive sampling method
allowed me to select participants based on their unique experience as youth with co-occurring
learning and mental health concerns within the COVID-19 health pandemic. Recent research

68
anticipates that COVID-19 will have a greater adverse effect on those experiencing other health,
social, and structural inequities related to gender, sexual orientation, mental health, and disability
status, for example (Douglas et al., 2020) Those in educational settings are seeing increasing
rates of mental health concerns and learning and behavioral disabilities (Blomqvist et al., 2019;
Bor et al., 2014; Collishaw, 2015; Pitchforth et al., 2019; Splett & Maras, 2011). Thus, in this
context of uuncertainty and unprecedented conditions, it is critical that we explore with intention
to understand and support the needs of these youth in order to foster positive development and
resilience.
The focus of the current research is on the four youth participants interviewed at two
different points in time, about one year apart, and their parents who were also interviewed in a
separate interview. Initially interviewed in Spring 2020, the youth participants included: Y01 16year-old boy, Y03 13-year-old girl, Y04 14-year-old girl, Y05 12-year-old girl. To gain a better
understanding of youth’s experiences, parents or caregivers were also interviewed in order to
capture parent perspectives of youth’s experiences and family context. One of the four families
identified as Indigenous, two of the families identified as single parent homes while the other
two identified as two parent households. All interviewed parents were employed, two full-time
and two part time (see Table 1).
A total of 16 interviews were conducted related to the four youth participants.
Table 1
Youth Participant Demographics During Spring 2020 Interviews

Y01
Y03
Y04
Y05

Age

Gender

Indigenous

Type of Home

16
13
14
12

Boy
Girl
Girl
Girl

No
Yes
No
No

2 Parent
1 Parent
2 Homes
2 Parent

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Table 2
Parent Participant Demographics During Spring 2020 Interviews

P01
P03
P04
P05

Gender

Indigenous

Marital Status

Employment

Woman
Woman
Woman
Man

No
Yes
No
No

Married
Divorced
Divorced
Married

FT
PT
PT
FT

COVID-19 Health Pandemic Context
This study describes resilience processes related to navigating remote learning at two
different points in time (May 2020 and May 2021), during a novel and unparalleled time in
history. It is necessary to contextualize this phenomenon within time and place as a means of
enhancing credibility in the research process and uncovering meaning and richness in the voices
of the youth (Rousseau & Fried, 2001). The following timeline outlines information relevant to
the participants as they were situated within a Manitoban context, during the first wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
2020
On January 25, 2020, the first Canadian Coronavirus case was reported by Health
Canada. By January 30, 2020, The World Health Organization had declared a Public Health
Emergency of international concern and by March 11, 2020, COVID-19 was officially declared a
pandemic as cases began to rise globally. By March 12, 2020, three cases had been reported in
Manitoba. By the end of March, every Canadian province and territory had declared a state of
emergency and restrictions were tightening by the day. Twelve of Canada’s 13 provinces and
territories had confirmed cases and limitations on gatherings of people ranged from 50 (British
Columbia) to zero (Quebec, in any places outside homes, workplaces or retailers).

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The province of Manitoba declared a provincial state of emergency on March 20, 2020.
The provincial government proceeded to implement numerous public health and safety measures
which included travel restrictions for people travelling both within and outside of the province,
limitations on the number of people attending public gatherings, and the determination of
essential businesses that were required to remain operational during the shutdown.
During this time, classroom learning remained suspended, and on June 1, 2020, access to
school facilities was granted for teachers conducting student assessments in small groups and for
students requiring access to the internet, computers, and counselling services.
Manitoba school closures persisted from March 23-May 31, 2020. In accordance with
provincial health restrictions and specific planning and programming needs, Manitoba began the
development of The Restoring Safe Schools document and released it to the public on June 25,
2020. The plan outlined the provincial framework for resuming in class learning following the
suspension of in school learning. With provincial consistency, local flexibility, and public health
and safety in mind the guidelines sought to ensure and plan for consistency with the province’s
Restoring Safe Services Manitoba's Pandemic and Economic Roadmap for Recovery plan.
On July 31, 2020, the province released the Welcoming Our Students Back: Restoring
Safe Schools plan, which provided a set of guidelines that would ensure the preservation of
public health and safety following the resumption of in-person classes on September 8, 2020.
The plan included an outline of K-12 Guidelines for September 2020, a Guide for Parents,
Caregivers and Students and a School Settings Practice Guidance and Protocols document.
August 19 marked the announcement of the RestartMB response system based on regional risk
categorization, placing Manitoba in its entirety under the yellow “caution” tier. By August 20,
the Prairie Mountain Health Region became the first region under the orange “restricted” code,

71
limiting the region to mandatory face masks in public and at gatherings, which were restricted to
10 people.
On September 9, it was announced that a student in grade seven at Churchill Highschool
in Winnipeg was identified as the first student to test positive for the virus. By mid-September,
many schools and regions were shifted to higher tier restrictions on the response system,
responding to increasing case numbers and positive cases, and widespread community
transmissions. By October 2, 2020, the Provincial Education Minister suspended grade 12
provincial exams for the first year, as a way to mitigate the impact of accessibility to remote
learning. On October 22, 2020, the Northern Health Region was placed under the same
restrictions as Winnipeg Metropolitan, where schools were faced with further restrictions.
November 3, 2020, Winnipeg shifted to the critical red tier and the rest of Manitoba was
assigned the restricted orange tier, limiting community retail services and establishment
capacities. On November 11, 2020, a record of 431 new cases were reported, with 218 people in
hospital and a record of 533 tests being performed the day prior. By November 12, the entire
province was moved to critical/red on the response system, resulting in mass closures of all noncritical businesses, prohibition of cultural and social gatherings, and limited contact to one
household only, while K-12 schools throughout the province remained opened to in person
learning. A day later, on November 13, 2020, Manitoba surpassed 10,000 COVID-19 cases with
a test positive rate provincially of 12.2%. By mid-November, the Premier was hinting that the
possibility of an extended Christmas break for students was on the horizon. On November 19,
2020, a total of 12,482 cases of the virus had been reported in the province, driving health
officials to implement tighter restrictions for gatherings, prohibiting people from gathering in
private residences, and limiting outdoor and public space contact to five people. By the following

72
day, non-essential items were prohibited from being sold in person in the province. A new record
daily high was set of 543 new cases in the province on November 23, 2020. The Hanover School
Division and surrounding schools shifted to code red on November 24, resulting in full time
remote learning. On November 28, 2020, the youngest person to die of the virus in the province
died at 10 years old. 543 new cases were announced on November 23, 2020, marking it as the
highest single day spike to date and bringing Manitoba’s total to 14,087 cases. On November 28,
2020, it was announced that a boy under the age of 10 died due to COVID-19 making him the
youngest to die of the virus so far and 487 new cases were reported with a provincial test
positivity rate of 14.2 %. With 247 deaths in November alone totaling approximately 80% of the
total deaths in Manitoba, the month came to a close at a provincial test positivity rate of 13.4%.
On December 1, 2020, the death total reached 328 since the beginning of the pandemic
and Manitoba recorded its deadliest day thus far, with 16 deaths and 9,066 actives cases. On
December 5, 2020, another record was broken with 19 new deaths being announced alongside
354 new cases. On December 8, 2020, the Manitoba death count reached 420 and an additional
245 new cases were reported, bringing the total since the beginning of the pandemic to 19,376,
with 5,379 still active. Premier Brian Pallister announced the extension of current restrictions
until January 8, 2021. On December 9, the Premier announced the Pfizer vaccine had been
approved by Health Canada and could be arriving in the province as early as the following week,
with 900 frontline health care workers receiving the first doses. By December 11, 465 people had
died of COVID-19 and new health orders were set to come into effect on the following Saturday
in the city of Winnipeg, allowing outdoor community rinks and tobogganing hills to open.
Manitoba administered its first Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on December 16, 2020, as the five-day
test positivity rate reached 13.6%. On December 21, 2020, Manitobans were urged to not gather

73
over the holidays as the death total climbed to 572 and 167 new cases were reported. On
December 27,2020, there were 4,488 active cases with a test positivity rate of 12.1 %
provincially and a total of 645 deaths since March 2020. By month end, December 31, 2020,
Manitoba had reached a death total of 667. A total of 25,700 cases since the start of the
pandemic, 4,505 which were active and a five-day test positive rate of 11.2%.
2021
As the new year set in, international travelers arriving in Winnipeg were asked to be
tested immediately over fear of a new variant, as 118 new cases and five new deaths were
announced on January 4, 2021. By January 5, 2021, 4,292 people had received the vaccine in
Manitoba and first shipments of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine took route to First Nations in
the province by January 7, 2021, as the total case count rose to 25,742. Code red health orders
were extended to January 8, 2021, due to holiday gatherings and on January 11 Manitoba’s top
doctor reported more than 530 cases and 2,800 close contacts linked to holiday gatherings,
contributing to a total of 3,414 active cases. On January 21, it was announced that new health
orders would come into effect on January 23, continuing the order of code red critical level, with
most changes in the areas of Winnipeg, Southern Health, Interlake-Eastern, and Prairie Mountain
Health, but not the Northern Health Region and Churchill because of high COVID-19 case
counts. The “rule of two” was also introduced allowing two designated people to visit inside
homes. January 26, 2021, witnessed a death toll of 809 for Manitoba and the introduction of new
health orders making it mandatory that anyone entering the province isolate for 14 days. The end
of the month marked the release of Manitoba’s vaccine priority list.
On February 9, 2021, the province announced its first case of the COVID-19 B-117
variant, also known as the U.K. Variant, which was discovered in relation to international travel.

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It was announced on February 12, 2021, that businesses would be allowed to open at 25%
capacity, outdoor sports facilities would be allowed to open for casual sports and organized
practices and games, gyms and fitness centers could reopen at 25% capacity, and indoor sporting
facilities could operate at 25%. On February 16, 2021, it was reported that there had been 30,932
cases since the start of the pandemic and 875 deaths. On February 24, 2021, it was announced
that the vaccine would soon become available to the general public. Manitobans born on or
before December 31, 1926, and First Nations people born on or before December 31, 1946, were
now able to book priority appointments. On February 25, the province began to share details of a
proposed reopening of the province, with loosening restrictions surrounding household
gatherings, group fitness classes, and outdoor gatherings and business restrictions. The following
day Health Canada approved the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for use, as provincial
eligibility criterion broadened, and provincial active cases reached 1,197.
March 1, 2021, marked the date that the first members of the general public received their
vaccine in Manitoba. As the province recorded a total of 21,896 cases since the onset of the
pandemic and 1,171 active cases it also released a report showing the disproportionate impact of
COVID-19 on BIPOC communities in Manitoba. The following day, the province recorded its
first case of the B.1.3.5.1 variant first recorded in South Africa. Loosening of restrictions was set
to take place on March 5, 2021. The province announced that the AstraZeneca vaccine was to be
given to high-risk people between the ages of 50 and 65 years old. To date, 84,937 doses of the
COVID-19 vaccine had been administered, including 55,090 first doses and 29,847 second
doses. On March 14, 2021, it was announced that there were 891 active cases, 30,935 recovered
and a provincial five-day test positivity rate of 4.5%. On March 19, Prime Minister Justin
Trudeau announced the Canadian Armed Forces would help vaccinate 23 communities in

75
northern Manitoba. Three schools reported potential exposures to COVID-19 variants: Ecole
Tache and O. V. Jewitt Elementary School in Winnipeg, and Pine Ridge Elementary School in
Winkler. The province remained in the code red or critical level due to rising cases of COVID-19
variants of concern.
On April 7, 2021, the vaccine eligibility criteria continued to broaden, and Manitoba
health officials announced small changes to current public health orders to begin on April 9.
While 179 new cases were reported the province announced that it was in the beginning of the
third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. As of April 8, 259,847 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine
had been administered in Manitoba. As the B.1.1.7 variant became the dominant variant in the
province, 1,312 active cases of the virus were reported, bringing the total of confirmed lab cases
to 35,213 and a death toll of 949. On April 15, 2021, the first case of the P1 variant of concern –
first identified in Brazil – had been found in Manitoba in a person from Interlake-Eastern health
region. On April 19, 2021, it was announced that people over 18 years old in high-risk areas
would be eligible for the vaccine. In attempts to slow down the third wave of the pandemic, new
public health orders took effect April 20, impacting gathering rules and business capacities. On
April 21, 1,833 active cases and 33,838 recoveries since the beginning of the pandemic were
reported with a provincial five-day test positivity rate of 6.3%. With active cases on the rise in
the province, new health orders took effect on April 28, limiting gatherings by not permitting
visitors in other’s homes, indoors or outdoors, restricting public outdoor gatherings to 10 people,
requiring mask wearing, etc., On April 27, an outbreak was declared at École Marie-AnneGaboury after 12 students and staff tested positive for COVID-19. The school switched to
remote learning. As the month came to an end, Premier Brian Pallister announced that teachers
and education workers in Manitoba would be able to receive a vaccine thanks to a partnership

76
with North Dakota. The vaccine location eligibility also expanded to include Inkster West and
Fort Garry South in Winnipeg, Brandon East End, and Powerview/Pine Falls.
Indigenous adults living in Manitoba became eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine on May 3,
two days following the general age eligibility provincially dropped to 45 years. On May 7, 2021,
the province announced 502 new cases, bringing the provincial test positive rate to 9.6%, with
137 people in the hospital with active COVID-19. On May 9, 2021, the province announced
schools in Winnipeg and Brandon would switch to remote learning and health officials reported
532 new COVID-19 cases. On May 12, students in Winnipeg and Brandon officially moved to
remote learning with a growing test positivity rate of 12.1% and vaccine eligibility dropping to
18 years old. May 13 marked a new record for the number of newly announced COVID-19
cases, with 560 new cases. Manitobans 12 and older became eligible to book COVID-19 vaccine
appointments for the Pfizer vaccine, with approximately 111,000 young people aged 12 to 17 in
the province included in this group. This made Manitoba one of the first jurisdictions in the
country to allow young people aged 12 to 17 years old to book their Pfizer vaccine appointment.
All 27 schools in the Garden Valley and Red River Valley school districts made the switch to
remote learning starting Tuesday, May 18, with students remaining at home until at least May
30. The province announced 51% of people over the age of 18 years old had received at least one
dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. On May 17, 2021, Manitoba took the top spot for COVID-19
infections in Canada and the U.S., reporting an average of 331.9 infections per million and by
May 20 the province recorded 603 new cases—the highest single-day spike of COVID-19 cases
yet in the pandemic—bringing Manitoba's total to 46,916 which included 4,659 active cases and
41,238 recoveries.

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On May 22, another round of restrictions were put in place for the holiday weekend as
Manitoba continued to try to lower the COVID-19 case count. These measures included no
gatherings outdoors with people from a different household, including at recreation areas, golf
courses, and parks. Contacts were to be limited to households only and only one person per
household was to be allowed to go into a business, with exceptions such as caregivers helping
those they are caring for. On May 21, 2021, Manitoba reported its second-highest spike in daily
COVID-19 cases, with 594 new cases. All schools in Dauphin transitioned to remote learning on
May 26 due to an increase in COVID-19 cases in the area. By May 27, the province announced
that all students in Winnipeg, Brandon, the Red River Valley, and Garden Valley school
divisions would continue with remote learning until at least June 7. On May 28, there were 4,676
active cases of the virus in Manitoba, 44,426 people who had recovered, and 1,042 who had
died.
As the province reached 51,935 cases since March 2020, it was announced on June 3 that
many schools in Manitoba would remain in remote learning until the end of the school year.
With 333 Manitobans with COVID-19 being treated in hospitals on June 5, 39 patients were also
being treated outside of the province: 36 in Ontario, one in Saskatchewan and two in Alberta. On
June 9, it was announced that a teenage boy from Winnipeg had died from COVID-19, bringing
the number of people who had died from COVID-19 in Manitoba to 1,081. On June 10, the
province announced a reopening plan based on immunization levels. On June 12, public health
orders were adjusted slightly to allow for people to gather in limited groups on public and private
property. On June 14, 2021, the Province of Manitoba recorded its lowest daily COVID-19 case
count since mid-April, with 124 COVID-19 cases and vaccine eligibility for second doses being

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expanded to people who had received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine on or before May
10, 2021.
This Manitoba focused overview of the COVID-19 health pandemic from January 15,
2020- June 14, 2021, contextualizes the phenomenon experienced by the youth during their first
and second interviews. Highlighting information relevant to the participants during this time
provides a time and a place in which the youth experienced the many shifts and changes of the
pandemic. While the above timeline captures this unique period of the first wave of the
pandemic, it is important to note that the pandemic and health measures continued to evolve
beyond the timeline outlined by this study. Thus, results should be considered within the
contextualized limits and boundaries of this phenomenon and case.
Interview Method
Commonly found in case study research, semi structured in-depth interviews were
conducted to illicit participants’ insight into the meaning of their experiences within the
phenomena (Yin, 2018). Interview questions followed the structure of pre-determined interview
questions in a flexible and conversational manner to explore what it was like for youth during
two different time periods of the COVID-19 health pandemic (see Appendix B). Parents were
prompted to describe the impact of learning and emotional challenges in their children’s daily
lives from their perspective, as well as supportive influences throughout the COVID-19 health
pandemic and emergency remote learning (see Appendix C).
In a conscious effort toward ensuring a reflexive process and reflecting on my role
creating and delivering the findings of the participants within this research, I employed several
strategies in reflecting on my own praxis (Dodgson, 2019). In preparation for the interview
process, it was critical for me to reflect on the idea of transparency and trustworthiness as pivotal

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to quality research (Buetow, 2019). Interviewing participants twice (prolonged engagement) and
succinctly identifying and recording my research process through a research journal held me
accountable to the “process of a continual internal dialogue and critical self-evaluation of [my]
positionality” as described by Berger (2013, p. 220).
Data Analysis
Data analysis of this study involved two phases: within-case analysis and across-case
analysis. First the interviews were transcribed using an established transcription process
developed by Lawrence and Herron (www.centreforruralmentalhealth.com/events). The
transcripts were stripped of any identifying information and assigned a participant code and
uploaded to NVivo.
Case propositions informed the inquiry of this research and were derived by this study’s
theoretical framework, relevant literature, and the research questions (Yin, 2018). Across
overarching case propositions five themes were identified: (a) COVID19 learning (b) COVID-19
mental health (c) youth interpersonal competencies, (d) COVID-19 family dynamics, & (e)
adaptive systems and processes. There were also more specific sub themes associated with each
overarching proposition (see Table 3).
Next, in sequence, each youth’s and their parents’ initial interviews were coded using an
NVivo Coding method (Saldaña, 2003) followed by their follow up interviews. Descriptive
coding, also referred to as Topic Coding, was employed by identifying a topic and summarizing
using a word or short phrase of the participant’s actual accounts to draw out themes within the
data (Saldaña, 2003; Strauss, 1987; Wolcott, 1994). The process of coding and sorting has been
referred to as decontextualizing by Tesch (1990), separating the data from the individual cases
(Ayres et al., 2003).

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Using Tesch’s (1990) “decontextualization and recontextualization” (p. 115) process of
interpretive analysis, I borrowed Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach to deductive thematic
analysis to theme all the interviews. Data was recontextualized by creating categories and then
themes identified using NVivo as they pertained to the identified case propositions (Braun &
Clarke, 2006). As DeSantis and Ugarriza (2000) described “A theme is an abstract entity that
brings meaning and identity to a recurrent experience and its variant manifestations. As such, a
theme captures and unifies the nature or basis of the experience into a meaningful whole” (p.
362). Themes within this research sought to highlight how youth with learning and experiencing
mental health concerns in Manitoba faired during the COVID-19 health pandemic at two
different time periods while schools were significantly impacted by public health protocols.
The analysis steps included (1) familiarization, transcribing interviews, and actively rereading transcripts; (2) generating initial data codes by labelling the data according to the case
propositions; (3) collating codes within each of the five case propositions into sub themes; (4)
reviewing themes and revising themes by amalgamating, or discarding them; (5) defining and
naming the final themes and; (6) producing the report.
Initially driven by the research questions, themes were deducted from the noted
theoretical framework and literature as a way of identifying key adaptive systems/processes and
how they fostered positive mental health and resilience during the COVID-19 health pandemic
while schools were conducting emergency remote instruction (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
Within case analysis occurred between each youth and parent pairing, which involved the
creation of four in-depth case stories using four interviews from the two different time periods.
Drawing on a ghost-writing approach Carl Rhodes (2000) describes this process as “a practice
where a researcher engages with a research participant and, as a result, creates a new text that

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both tells a story of that participant and implies the involvement of the researcher” (p. 514).
Contextually positioned, I used each youth and parent’s initial and follow up interviews to create
a youth specific case story to capture the youth’s experiences succinctly but reflectively from a
multi-perspective approach. Participant accounts of events and experiences were not always
conveyed sequentially during the interviews, thus a process of analyzing and reorganizing the
data into a temporal, chronological re-story was employed (Ollerenshaw & Creswell, 2002).
Participant quotations were used throughout the re-storied case stories, as a way of amplifying
the unique experiences of each youth across the two points of inquiry. The four case stories are
presented in Chapter Four.
Following the within case analysis, the across case analysis took place within all four
pairs to explore commonalities and differences across all participant cases (Coffey & Atkinson,
1996). Each theme was examined to gain an understanding of participants’ perceptions and lived
experiences. The final themes are presented and reviewed in Chapter Five.
Chapter Summary
This qualitative case study explored youth experiences and their parents’ perceptions
about youth mental health and learning during imposed emergency remote instruction throughout
the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a multi-informant and semi longitudinal research design, the
purpose of the study was to describe the resilience processes related to navigating remote
learning at two different points in time (May 2020 and May 2021). A multimethod analysis was
carried out for the sake of eliciting and conveying meaning from the personal accounts of
research participants. The findings of this analysis, including rich descriptions about the in-depth
experiences of youth and their families navigating the uncharted territory during the pandemic,
are described in detail in the next chapter.

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Chapter Four: Participant Stories
The youth case stories are interpretive narratives created from the initial and follow up
youth and parent interviews. Pseudonymous were assigned by the researcher. The stories were
drafted by conceptualizing and summarizing the youth interviews primarily, while utilizing
parent interviews to support and supplement the in-depth experiences of the youth. Direct
quotations are used to capture the insight and meaning of the youth’s experiences.
Y01 Case Story (Sam 16-year-old)
Sam, a white 16-year-old in the eleventh grade, and his mother Sharon, a teacher, first
participated in interviews in May 2020 when schools were immersed in provincially mandated
emergency remote learning. Both were eager to share their observations and experiences
navigating this new way of learning from the unique perspective as student, parent, and teacher.
Having struggled with ADHD and learning in the past, Sam was adjusting to virtual learning by
implementing a fairly structured and organized approach with his home learning. Sam shared
that he wasn’t “necessarily an organized person” but with the support of his mom he was able to
break his day into learning blocks similar to what he would have had in in person learning.
Sam was able to stay on track during the first few weeks of the pandemic, but as the
virtual learning continued on, he became increasingly overwhelmed with the workload and he
began to notice his distraction grew. At which point he shared “it went downhill quick” and Sam
quickly fell behind in his schoolwork and overwhelm followed. At home learning did offer Sam
the ability to incorporate flexibility into his day and because he was not always in classes, he had
a lot of more time to do schoolwork. Once Sam was able to commit to a task, he could continue
with it until it was finished while learning at home.
Sam emphasized the important role his mom played in his learning describing:

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I’m almost actually caught up now because she’s kind of given me a goal for each day,
including the weekends now of stuff that I have to get done and so she kind of in sense
has become the new teacher, so mhm. So that has definitely helped.
While Sharon’s skills, support, and “voice of authority” were appreciated by Sam and helped
him stay on track and “get stuff done,” he also shared that her extreme organization and use of
sticky notes with deadlines and tasks was at times becoming overwhelming for him. For Sam,
there was no better feeling then completing one of those tasks and he shared that “when she puts
up seven sticky notes, but taking one off kind of gives you that feeling of accomplishment which
definitely feels really good.” Organization and parental support were important in Sam’s success
while virtual learning.
Sam made a connection between the overwhelming workload, the difficulty of learning at
home, and his mental health. In tune with his own stress levels, he candidly opened up about
what he felt was a lack of awareness from the teacher’s perspectives sharing:
I can understand where they are coming from, but I think they aren’t necessarily thinking
of like the mental health aspect of people getting stressed out and stuff like that. Because
I think that is one of the reasons why I have found a little bit more stress in people and
stuff like that.
Sam maturely reflected on the current learning conditions and how he felt it “exaggerated
everything” in terms of stress, mental health, and learning difficulties. He described that “it kind
of like, I kinda like get this like uh feeling of being overwhelmed, and I’m never going to finish
this and stuff like that.” The relationship between learning and mental health was clear for Sam
during virtual learning.

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Sam transparently explained that his screen time had significantly increased which was at
times distracting for him, now being reliant on it for learning and connecting with peers, he
emphasized the positive benefits of online accessibility. He depended on the internet to clarify
questions related to school content and also to facetime with his friends. While Sam had found
some strategies and techniques to adapt to emergency remote learning, he was clear in sharing
that he wished that he could go back to school. He joked about not just missing the “cookies
from the canteen” but also the support of his teachers. Noticing the impact of not having the
direct in person support of teachers Sam expressed that:
it’s almost like a subconscious thing that I have to kinda stay on track in school, whereas,
without them here at home it definitely feels like I can goof off and kind of do whatever
and then I can’t get back to work.
One of his greatest “ah ha” moments of the pandemic was his newfound appreciation for
teachers. He described:
I think it definitely, like put it in perspective of like how much you actually need teachers
and like, like [pause] like it just showed you like how much harder it is to be um selfcontrolling and like having to plan and schedule your day out.
Sam appreciated the critical role his own mom, also a teacher at his school, had in
supporting him through this transition. As a high school student whose mom was a teacher at his
school, he described a sense of “embarrassment” with receiving support from his mom or having
her connect with his teachers pre-emergency remote learning. This was a notable shift for Sam as
he described that, “I have started to definitely listen to her and kind of taken everything she says
and do it” explaining that he was receptive and grateful for her support.

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For Sharon, her role as a teacher and also a mother were greatly influencing and
informing one another during this time. Knowing that her own children’s sense of overwhelm
and stress with keeping up with schoolwork was also being experienced in her students, she
passionately spoke to the importance of prioritizing positive connection and well-being. This
meant making a point to send emails, check ins, and showing a genuine curiosity around how her
students were doing apart from learning. Saddened by what she felt was a “trauma impact from
the pandemic and uncertainty” she described noticing “grief and loss” in her students. Sharon
had heard her students verbally express their frustration and anger towards their inability to see
friends, attend school, and participate in extra curriculars regularly.
Noticing a sense of feeling behind in his learning, Sam was concerned about “missing
things that might affect [him] in grade 12.” This worry meant that he needed to work “twice as
hard next year to learn everything” because of the content he felt was being missed during
emergency remote learning. Sam insightfully described his own awareness of when he became
stressed which felt like a great sense of overwhelm, negative thinking, and decreased motivation.
During this time, Sam used his well-developed coping strategies as he explained:
I’ve always found that when I’m stressed a little bit I like listening to music, because
music in general has always been something I like listening to and stuff like that and I
find that just taking a break from that situation for a minute that does kind of help. I have
been going for jogs, I’ve been trying to go every day.
A momentary breath and break from a stressful situation allowed him to look at a big situation
“in more smaller pieces to make it seem less overwhelming.” This was also helpful in lowering
his stress.

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Sam’s athletic, competitive nature played a role in motivating him through this
challenging period. He shared that “a lot of my friends are a little bit behind” and while that gave
him a sense of validation and “acceptance” it also gave him a “boost” to focus in on his work. He
confidently shared:
call it selfish but I kinda tend to find that, if I am ahead of someone, even though I’m
feeling behind it kind of gives me a little boost in saying that well I know they can get it
done so I could probably get it even quicker because I have to work.
He shared that he had been working hard the past two weeks to catch up and was “feeling good
about it again.”
A year later in May of 2021, with his eyes set on graduation and university Sam reflected
on the difficulties of emergency remote learning and adapting to this year’s 50-50 blended model
approach. Thinking about the two delivery models Sam described that his workload became
“easier” once he switched to 50-50 and he was able to complete schoolwork in the school setting.
He was quick to express the concern he had around the quality of his learning throughout the
entirety of the pandemic. Confident in elaborating on his greatest source of stress Sam shared:
school is probably the main one ‘cause again, it was like last year is a big shift to go from
at home or start at school, which is all I knew to completely at home. Which was a big
switch and at school I'm not used to big like changes like that, which I think was a big
uhh a big change.
Thinking back on all the changes that occurred in his world over the course of the year, Sam
explained how the rapidness, uncertainty and lack of preparation effected his mental health and
increased his stress. This heighted sense of overwhelm over the last year:

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felt like a lot of umm…just kind of in my head thinking ‘I'm never gonna finish this or
how on earth am I gonna get this done in time?’ or like a lot of like ‘I won't be able to do
this or I'm not gonna be able to do this’ kind of feeling in me.
Sharon who offered a unique perspective as not only Sam’s parent but a teacher at his
school described this time as “such [a] prolonged period of stress and uncertainty and change and
trauma and just family flux that is happening all the time.” Similarly, Sam offered his own
perspective on the prolonged stress, building upon what he had shared in his first interview
where he described a sense of feeling behind in his learning, Sam expressed, “I feel like I
probably am missing out ‘cause there are some things that I, at least it feels like that to me that I
feel like I should know more about a certain subject.” Sam was very appreciative to be back in
person learning half the time as it helped with retention and understanding of concepts. But he
really felt that the quality of learning that was being done on home learning days was not to par
and described with worry and apprehension that “I don't want to say a lack of learning, but a lack
of quality of learning possibly. I feel like my marks have gone down just a bit from that.” Sharon
mirrored much the same, describing a period of great grief for Sam and her youngest who
wanted nothing more than to be in school every day.
Staying organized and following routine was key to managing Sam’s levels of stress and
overwhelm. Being able to draw on his mom’s accessibility to the other teachers in his schools, he
highlighted the benefit of the school-parent collaboration that occurred in order to support him in
organizing and setting deadlines for himself. Although, he was clear to point out that virtual
learning was not ideal, Sam maturely applauded his teachers’ creative approaches and
accessibility through these online platforms. With great respect and appreciation Sam explained,
“honestly, it surprises me the amount that a lot of teachers respond back. So yes, I think so. Like

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I think the support given by being able to respond is nice.” Mirroring Sam’s important take
aways and noting the long-haul impact of the pandemic on her own children, her students,
teachers, and parents Sharon passionately promoted connection and relationship in supporting
the well-being and learning of youth.
For Sam, many of the ways that he remained connected to his peers through sport and
socialization were interrupted by government health mandates and closures. He felt fortunate
enough to be able to stay quite connected with his core group of friends through social media and
social distance hangouts. Without his regular extracurriculars like hockey and curling, Sam’s
boredom grew, and he explained that “there's a lot more alone time which led to me being a lot
more bored, but even with that I think because I've got like my PS4 and stuff like that. I was
again able to play like with my friends on it so to some extent I was able to solve it, but yeah, it
definitely felt a lot a lot more boring to kind of … not being able to do sports.”
Family dynamics remained consistent between the first and second interview points,
although, a greater sense of personal boundaries became necessary as Sam’s family became
comfortable sharing their space together more often. Sam learned throughout this period how
much he valued his “alone time,” which he was able to “communicate effectively” with his
family through open and honest discussions. Friday nights became an opportunity for them to
support a local restaurant and reconnect as a family and Sam was hopeful this would continue
beyond social distancing measures.
The year was marked by tremendous personal growth for Sam, as he shared with pride
that he felt a greater sense of independence and problem-solving abilities. Sam’s greatest
motivator through the last year had been his pursuit of graduation, university, and independence.

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Using his application to university to drive his motivation specifically in his math and chemistry
class, Sam explained extreme personal growth when he stated:
I feel like coming from barely wanting to do anything and needing my mum to step in
and kind of guide me through it to me actually doing without any like needing any help I
feel like that is definitely a change.
Sam expressed disappointment and frustration about the many grade 12 milestones that
were going to be impacted because of social distancing, like his graduation and safe grad.
This year taught him the importance of goal setting in motivating him and coping with ongoing
stress. These strengthened interpersonal skills, paired with his determination and thirst for
independence beyond high school, insighted an excitement in Sam as he spoke about the future.
He was hopeful that he would be able to regain a sense of his normalcy in experiencing the
milestones of moving out on his own and attending an out-of-town university. Sam used this goal
and hope to keep him focused and motivated on his studies even through the challenges and he
confidently shared, “I just felt like kind of… [it was time to] spread my wings and go my own
way.”
Y03 Case Story (Tegan 13-year-old)
Tegan, an Indigenous 13-year-old in the eighth grade, and her mother Cindy, a single
parent, first participated in interviews in May 2020, when schools were immersed in provincially
mandated emergency remote learning. New to experiencing the pandemic and virtual learning,
Tegan and her two younger siblings were learning to adapt to the unprecedented conditions of
COVID-19 within a single parent household with a single laptop.
What was supposed to be a school year ending filled with excitement and planning for
high school, was overrode by full time emergency remote learning and it wasn’t long before the

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novelty wore off. Tegan shared that “being surrounded by this new environment where we are
learning online and having to use all these programs, was kind of cool at first but I’ve kinda
gotten used to it.” Feeling a lack of preparation on navigating the online programs, Tegan
quickly learned to adapt to this new learning environment with the support of her mom who
implemented a structured daily routine. Having been laid off because of the pandemic, Cindy
noted the stressful nature of juggling her three children’s unique remote learning expectations
and daily schedules. Tegan was grateful for her mom’s help recognizing that “my mom, came up
with a schedule for us, which it has been helping like a lot.” Her mom emphasized the
importance of such in order to promote “some sort of routine and sense of normalcy.” Although
she was following her mother’s well implemented well-structured daily routine, Tegan felt that
“school is designed for keeping everyone focused and learning from home, it’s like where you
live and it’s a different environment so yea, you’re not used to being in.”
Her resourcefulness led her to utilize the supports as she described, “I ask my mom for
help, unless I’m really stuck then I’ll just email my teachers on Teams.” Tegan, who confidently
shared that pre pandemic “I haven’t really had worries in school, I am kind of a good student,”
was beginning to experience challenges associated with remote instruction. These included “not
having the teachers to explain the stuff or like not asking my friends and stuff for help or getting
to see them” and missing the ability to learn from hands on projects including activities such as
science projects. But Tegan’s independence and persistence continued as she described, “with
schoolwork I am kind of just like staying determined. I have just been trying to finish up my
work and keep on schedule.”

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With high school in the near future, Tegan, as a confident student academically who took
great pride and enjoyment in her schoolwork, was becoming increasingly distressed about the
future. This meant overthinking and wondering. She shared:
I am also worried like I need to ‘cause they are preparing us for high school and now that
I don’t have the teachers there and everything, I am afraid that I might not like be ahead
enough to be ready for high school.
Fearful that she may be struggling with comprehension and learning independently she shared:
sometimes I have little problems with the work, but now it’s like I am kind of worried
‘cause they don’t have the teachers to explain the work to me and walk me through the
classes that like I might mess up and then like my grade will be affected.
Although Tegan had a teacher who was incorporating daily virtual check ins into the
school day where students could ask questions regarding schoolwork like math, Cindy felt that
“compared to the other kids, I think she [Tegan] is doing the worst. Just because the level of
work is a little bit harder so I can’t always help her.” This lack of adequate support, difficulty,
and quality of course content, and a lack of enjoyment and isolation from peers was leading to
Cindy feeling like Tegan was falling behind. As a single parent navigating the learning of her
three school aged children, Cindy spoke about the unrealistic nature of deadlines sharing:
we have to just throw out, like they try to give us guidelines like have this done by this.
But those are kind of impossible to follow if you have more than one kid. And I don’t
know how parents are doing it, who have more than one kid, who have to go to work
every day.
Tegan spoke with worry and fear when she explained one of the most significant shifts
for her during this time stating, “well, because I notice with this whole COVID thing I have

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become a lot more paranoid.” Her mom, who was categorized as “high risk,” also described how
this concerning hyper fixation with contracting the virus was affecting Tegan daily. Cindy
explained, “It’s the focus everywhere. It’s just on that so, I don’t know how to explain it, all this
is really stressful for her. I think because she’s older and really understands.”
Tegan described this worry of contracting the COVID-19 virus as:
kind of like I have been like wanting to like to disinfect everything or stuff that doesn’t
need to be disinfected and sometimes like you just want to stay away…Like we haven’t
been going out but sometimes on walks and everything I’ll like keep my hands to myself
and kind of like try to keep my distance and like yeah.
Becoming so fixated on safety precautions Tegan shared that “washing my hands has become
like a big problem.” Cindy described how Tegan’s increased time online self-researching the
virus became problematic, “and then she doesn’t tell me, so she’s just basically feeding into her
own paranoia and then she doesn’t tell me that she looked up these things and now she knows the
conspiracies for four days after.”
As a family being cooped up together twenty-four-seven, tensions were beginning to rise
and Cindy explained, “I think it’s just us all being on top of each other like nobody has their own
space, nobody can just go and be by themselves and get some alone time.” With irritability at an
all-time high, Cindy described, “well I’m pretty much crabby all the time so is the thirteen-yearold, and probably the youngest also.” Cindy reached a point of needing to remove Tegan’s phone
from her because she’d spend all night awake on it and wake up “just miserable” and take it out
on her siblings resulting in constant “little arguments” and a lack of willingness to help one
another with chores and responsibilities.

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With hopes of maintaining some sense of normalcy, Tegan prioritized staying connected
with her friends daily sharing, “one thing I do try like is keeping in touch…I like chat with my
friends like texting every day, but I like to call them like once a week or even more.” And while
Tegan was enjoying the creative approaches to engagement that her school and teachers were
putting forth, like parades and surprise treats in their learning packages, Cindy felt that more
one-to-one contact with the students would have been beneficial to their well-being and learning.
A year later in May of 2021, Tegan and Cindy offered insight into the changes and
transitions that their family experienced in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Following the
initial interview, Tegan experienced the grief of a major milestone that she looked forward to for
so long, her grade eight graduation ceremony. Her mom shared that “she was just really
disappointed, so we had to find other ways for her to celebrate that.” Tegan was vulnerable in
sharing that:
last year definitely affected my mental health a lot. Just ‘cause it was the outbreak and
like the quarantine. and I think I was it was very stressful and gave me a lot of anxiety,
but uhm, living through it and like and then taking the safety measures and just getting
really just getting used to it up has gave me more peace of mind now.
Tegan reflected back on her return to school in September 2021and her fear and
adjustment to health protocols. She described, “for the first month again was like kind of scary.
Because you're like in the new school you know everyone wearing masks and social distancing
and then also like being scared of getting the virus too.” Tegan elaborated on the decrease in
worry related to the pandemic and “peace of mind” that she experienced because of the
reassuring nature of school cleaning and sanitizing procedures expressing, “I think now I've

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calmed down a lot like I trust like the systems that we have in place and it's getting easier for
me.”
Adapting to a new form of 50-50 learning where she attended school in person every
other day and virtually on alternate days, Tegan was experiencing an elevated sense of
appreciation stating:
this is much better than before. Because of the in-person element… kind of keeping me
sane ‘cause I can like get out of the house and learn and you know, see some of my
friends some more being in a new environment.
Tegan reported that the online element of the school still posed some challenges for her like
distraction and difficulty focusing. Her online presence increased with the continuance of virtual
learning, remote socializing with friends, and receiving tutoring support for one of her classes.
Alternatively, there were many instances where the virtual learning was more accommodating as
she explained, “ELA is pretty good ‘cause we're doing book clubs and stuff and writing. And I
think French surprisingly is easier at home ‘cause we watch videos, and I cannot be as shy at
home practicing.” While Tegan felt that 50-50 learning was a better option then full virtual
learning, she was clear in sharing the point that:
I think being at school is definitely a lot better than being at home and then just like if
we're doing something hard, like examples going through the work and then having
someone explain it to you really well helps a lot with me learning.
Noticing the positive improvements to her mood, attitude, and overall well-being Tegan
and Cindy reflected on their family’s perseverance and determination during a very difficult
year. Cindy described that “it was really just sheer willpower, like just keep on the kids and just
do it, just push through and get it done.” Noticing an increased sense of happiness and improved

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motivation, Tegan was able to begin go outside, into the public, and to see some friends safely
with a sense of confidence and assurance in the safety measures which gave her “more peace of
mind.” With Cindy returning to work and Tegan learning to take the city bus to school, she
experienced significant personal growth sharing, “[it was] scary at first, but now it's like made
me feel like more of an adult like independent especially keeping safe on the city bus like with
COVID and just in general.”
Tegan and Cindy both remained hopeful for greater “normalcy” as vaccination roll outs
began. Experiencing a sense of exhaustion and social disconnection the family longed for the
loosening of restrictions in order to reconnect with others safely. Never having experienced high
school at full capacity, Tegan shared:
I'm looking forward to like something new like in grade 10 new classes. You know, being
able to try new things, seeing how that goes. And yeah, and just seeing like what's it
gonna be like next year. You know, are things going to be the same or are things going to
be better.
As a family guided by strong cultural connections and practices, Tegan highlighted the
importance keeping a “optimistic mind” when facing difficult times.
Y04 Case Story (Bella 14-year-old)
Bella, a white 14-year-old in the eighth grade, and her mother, Marie, first participated in
interviews in May 2020 when schools were immersed in provincially mandated emergency
remote learning. Bella was articulate and insightful as she expressively shared her experiences.
She was keen to share her experiences and perspectives about what it was like for her doing
online learning in May 2020.

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Before the pandemic, Bella described herself as a cat and volleyball enthusiast. She said
she could be found spending her time with friends and family and working on schoolwork.
Managing ADHD, as well as mental health concerns related to anxiety and depression, Bella was
already well connected to a community mental health service. This service often collaborated
with her school to implement supportive accommodations and strategies to promote her success.
As Bella has learned about herself, she has developed tremendous insights into her needs and
strengths particularly within the classroom which she eloquently spoke to in the interview.
In person typical classroom learning posed many challenges for Bella, as the loud noises
and distractions from the other students affected her ability to focus and often exacerbated her
feelings of overwhelm and worried thinking. She explained that:
in loud rooms with lots of people and if I have had a bad day, like my mood… it’s really
hard because then I can’t focus and I start fidgeting and it doesn’t help because it’s a loud
room and the teachers wondering why I’m not working.
Loud rooms with lots of people changed her mood sometimes, leading her to become frustrated
and short with her friends and family. As someone whose mother described her as “academically
quite strong,” her emotional struggles were often missed by educators and, as Bella would
describe it, she “flew under the radar” and so open communication between her supports and
teachers was critical. Bella explained that “teachers don't notice that I'm struggling at all unless I
straight out tell them.”
Bella’s mom bolstered that:
she has a good relationship with her teacher. Her teacher has been very helpful with her
learning and trying to like navigate through like what ADHD looks like in an adolescent
girl is much different than an adolescent boy. You know, and trying to understand what is

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that for her, and how does she manage those days when she’s feeling very anxious and
stuff so her teacher has been a really good help for her, she’s been very understanding.
Throughout the interviews, Bella and Marie were appreciative of the teacher’s approaches both
pre and during emergency remote learning. Throughout the interviews they frequently
commented about how hard teachers have been working to make things work.
Initially, while fairly new to emergency remote learning Bella expressed:
I do feel a lot better working, because I’m not surrounded by a bunch of people who are
constantly talking, so that feels a lot better. And being able to take it at my own pace has
really helped as well.
As someone who struggled to focus within a traditional classroom setting, Bella was able to “you
know, put in headphones, listen to music, sit on the couch under a cozy blanket with the laptop
and work and it’s actually a better environment for her than in a classroom where there’s lots of
kids” as her mother described. Bella shared she has always preferred working independently,
while group projects were always “a source of stress for her” and so being able to create “a quiet,
safe workplace where I can…be comfortable helps.”
Emergency remote learning, in many ways, was well suited to Bella’s learning
preferences, her mental health concerns, fears, and stresses. Overthinking created challenges for
her when needing to ask for help from her teacher sharing that “well for me it’s a lot to do with
over analyzing and then being scared so scared to ask people for help scared to go do things.”
This was further made difficult for Bella, as she described:
Well I feel like I’m not learning as much as I should be because it’s pretty difficult to ask
questions and understand the projects when it’s all been given online, so it’s almost like I

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feel like I’m harassing my teacher asking so many questions because there’s so little
detail about the assignments.
This became a source of worry for her regarding her preparation for her grade nine year, feeling
that she wasn’t going to be “super ready” for the upcoming curricular expectations when she
entered high school.
Bella, who lives between her mom and dad’s home, has felt able to openly communicate
her struggles throughout the time of emergency remote learning and social distancing measures.
The parents maintained an “open door possibility” and flexibility in their children’s schedules
when needed to best support them through this period of new learning. Her mother said:
She was very open about talking about where her anxiety comes from is her trying to…
she used a term today, she said, ‘trying to take care of myself.’ And so there comes
anxiety about trying to take care of yourself and finding a time and a way because all of
the things that we would normally do to take care of ourselves, go to the gym, go to a
movie, go out to eat, like so many of those things have been taken away.
While Bella and mother shared that she was more focused and less distracted doing her
schoolwork at home, which led to “less anxiety,” both openly talked about the increase in a
“different type of anxiety” due to social isolation and loneliness, alongside an increase in sadness
and loneliness. Bella shared that “it’s a lot of quiet time [light laughter], so I haven’t been doing
as much, I feel extra lazy…. It’s a lot of time to just sit and think, which just isn’t the best
sometimes.” For Bella, the absence of the “social aspect of school, so being with people” as she
described was greatly felt. Bella clearly prioritizes relationships, connection, communication,
and helping others, and so the social distancing measures began to take a toll on her. She
highlighted that “I also miss volleyball a lot because my season got cancelled, so that was a huge

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impact since it was my first year going to Nationals.” She missed activities and being with her
friends.
During these turbulent times, Bella was able to draw on the strengths and supportive
relationships, including her parents, teachers, and friends. During the interview she shared that
she had recently began “easing into” reconnecting with a few friends in person following social
distancing guidelines. She said that “it was almost like you had so many things to talk about and
it felt really good to be talking to someone besides your family.” For Bella, relationships are a
great source of support, motivation, and strength. Her teacher continued to contribute to this as
she navigated these unprecedented times sharing that:
this year I’ve actually had pretty great teachers, there’s just been a couple incidents where
I haven’t been able to learn very well, but for the most part my teachers have been super
supportive and helpful reaching out to me during this. And mom, dad, trying to make sure
I’m getting my work done, really focusing on seeing if I’m ok. It’s been a lot of actually
doing things together, which has helped a lot.
She was reflective of the relationships that helped her to manage this difficult time.
Fast forward to June 2021, and Bella was wrapping up her first year of high school and
reflecting on the last year’s countless shifts and changes. After hearing a summary of her
previous interview, she shared:
Honestly, I thought it was hilarious when I said that it was easier for online learning
because I took a complete 180 and it's very difficult now. But I think at the time it was
kind of… it was almost like a honeymoon phase or like it's like everything was good and
I was like always, basically a vacation. And you know it was easier because I was in the
comfort of my own home, and I could work at my own pace.

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Over a one-year period, a lot had changed for Bella.
One year later, Bella was impacted by stringent social distancing measures, overwhelm,
and increased stress which ultimately landed her in a crisis stabilization unit. She described, “my
depression's been super like on like also roller coaster during this so when it gets really bad and
completely stops. Uhm, I have a really hard time being motivated during those times.” Bella had
a mature insight into the relationship between her own stress experiences and the impact to her
relationships sharing that “it was just overwhelming for me ‘cause I would constantly like I
would become irritable as well around people and I hated that ‘cause I would just like snap
because I was so stressed.” As someone who values relationships, and often is described as
having a “strong moral compass,” experiencing this turmoil in her relationships was frustrating
for her.
Beginning the year with in-person learning every other day, where students were split
into groups of two based on their last names, Bella felt the year was “really tough yeah, ‘cause I
mean, I'm really nervous with making new friends so …I didn't know anyone.” Leading to the
ultimate return to online learning, Bella spoke with the interviewer about the widespread sense of
defeat, as she described, “by the time they announced that we're doing online learning again we
almost just like threw in the towel. I feel like a lot of people, including the teachers. So this
round has been REALLY HARD [emphasis].” While online learning had once provided some
reprieve, one year later it was not welcomed.
As the year went on and she navigated these unique circumstances, she struggled to focus
and stay on track and she shared that “in fact, I had to up my ADHD meds because my ADHD
was getting really bad which did not help.” Virtual learning made it hard for Bella in:

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trying to retain everything and comprehend what's going on. ‘Cause I can learn
something and in that day be like I totally understand this and I know what to do. But the
next day I don't know what I learned and it's really difficult.
Being able to play volleyball, connect with friends, or watch movies was no longer available,
which made it hard for Bella to use the strategies she had once found most helpful.
Through parental advocacy and parent teacher collaboration, Bella was able to access the
hybrid model of synchronized learning, which was better suited to fostering her strengths and
resources. Meaning those with necessary learning accommodations were able to attend in person
while the remainder of the students simultaneously learned virtually. The routine, structured
pacing, due dates, and face to face instruction lent to a better learning experience for Bella and
she shared:
doing learning in person and being able to grow everyday really grew that motivation
because it's kind of like pushing me to do it because I have to instead of doing online
where I'm kind of just sitting there like listening, it's just like blah blah blah blah blah. So
being able to go in and get ready for my day and going to school motivates me and makes
me almost like energized, I would say.
This approach also allowed Bella to benefit from the learning strategies that she found most
helpful as she described:
definitely with people in person and I'm a big visual learner. So I guess being in person
helps a lot too with that but big explanations because I constantly have questions, so
being able to be face to face with someone who is showing me and explaining it super
well. which is hard like I probably couldn't even do that [light laughter].

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One of the ways Bella and her family navigated these extremely challenging
circumstances was by relying on one and other. Finding a new appreciation for the things they
once enjoyed connecting on that they had lost track of in the busyness of life, the family spent
time going for walks, exploring local attractions, and learning to appreciate the slower paced
lifestyle. When describing her relationship with her mom, Bella shared, “we already had great
like connection and relationship but just being able to…not be constantly rushed to do things is
really helpful.”
Bella also drew on her friendships and new relationship with her boyfriend in order to
support her through these difficult times sharing:
I went outside so I was able to like meet up with some friends. Uhm, I actually I got
a…my boyfriend in October. Ah, well, that's all been super difficult with COVID. But
being able to talk to him helped a lot.
The pandemic also rendered the growth of many of Bella’s interpersonal qualities as she
described:
I would like to say that my patience grew like…I have a lot more patience now because
I'm just having to get used to all of these changes I mean, it's not the best because I still
get super stressed out over these kinds of things. I'm constantly wondering like what's
going to happen next with the restrictions but it's showing me that like I have to go with
the flow and I don't really have a choice I wasn't really good with before.
Bella and her mother spoke to an increased sense of independence that she developed throughout
this year, taking on a greater responsibility for her learning and well-being, and challenging
herself to take on a part time job in the public service sector amidst the challenges of social
distancing measures. Taking on a part time job during the pandemic did add some stress and

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pressure to Bella’s life, as she described, “it was very difficult and having to constantly chase the
rules for the store due to COVID was really difficult because you get like complaints and
employee, we have multiple employees quit on us.” Working during the pandemic was
complicated by having to enforce provincially mandated safety measures but it made Bella
happy to be able to make her own money to spend.
As the school year was coming to a close, Bella reflected on the impact of pandemic
fatigue through the rushed nature of the curriculum delivery “so it's kind of like us learning how
to do things as fast as we can. But not doing it well…I think it was like a factory where they
produced SO MUCH [emphasis], but the quality is terrible! [light laughter].” She saw this in her
own teachers defeated nature and approach describing that “like I had one of my favorite
teachers, my science teacher, I love science, she was like ‘I'm done like I think I just threw in the
towel’ [light laughter] …And I’m like ‘well I feel you’.” Both Bella and her mother emphasized
the importance of teachers continuing to engage and connect with students around “how they’re
doing” in order to build relationships and develop a greater understanding of their unique needs.
Bella explained the importance of hope and religious faith to her in her day-to-day
motivation and well-being. She was hopeful that innovation and the lessons learned throughout
this time around slowing down, family connection, and perspective would lend to a more
positive future, where a sense of normalcy could be restored. She shared that “I think I get this a
lot from like my mom and my dad but the idea that like if you don't have hope you're not helping
the cause like it have a positive outlook on something you're not contributing.”
Y05 Case Story (Maddy 12-year-old)

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Maddy, a white 12-year-old in the sixth grade, and her father, Joe, first participated in
interviews in May 2020 when schools were immersed in provincially mandated emergency
remote learning. Joe described that Maddy:
had struggles all of her life particularly with anxiety and mood lability. She ha[d] an EA
at school that ha[d] been working with her a little bit more than she would other students
kind of been assigned to work with her especially for math.
Joe, who works in the mental health field, and his wife have advocated on behalf of their
children’s learning and mental health needs. Because of this, Maddy has a manageable
individualized learning plan with small markers, check ins, and due dates to allow for more
structure and organization. Joe feels this has been successful, as he feels his daughter’s lack of
self-confidence and negative self-beliefs prevent her from voicing her need for extra support.
Maddy’s greatest strengths and enjoyment are experienced in her ELA class where she gets to do
her favorite things like reading and writing.
While her parents, both employed as full time “essential workers,” were working out of
the home, Maddy was learning to navigate the nuances of online learning and was taking on new
responsibilities of caring for two of her three younger siblings and her two dogs. This meant
preparing meals and also helping them with virtual learning. The initial phase of the pandemic
was filled with uncertainty and sadness for Maddy as she described:
Well, it’s hard because we can’t really see much people anymore so, yeah and we are
like, we don’t even know when we will go back, that’s the sad part…and we are, uhm we
are like going to a new school soon and that’s like not built yet because they had to
postpone it because of the pandemic.

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With her and her two younger siblings attempting to participate in daily virtual learning that all
looked very different from one another, Maddy was experiencing the strain and pressure of
organizing and supporting not only her own learning but also her siblings. Maddy shared her and
her siblings were “like social butterflies…so it's pretty hard for [them] not to be in school doing
stuff like in real life.” making it extremely difficult to focus and learn all while navigating the
technical and practical issues of operating three online classrooms at once.
The stress and increased responsibility of juggling duties was felt by Maddy and also her
parents, who were attempting to meet the expectations of their full-time employment and
additionally taking on new roles as primary educational supports for the children. As Joe
described:
I get to work, and shortly after I get to work I check in with the kids, make sure they are
trying to get themselves going, and that they are working towards something that day. I
often the night before check what assignments are due and things that they need to do so I
kind of tell them today we need to work on this, today we need to focus on this a little bit
because when I get home at night then its eat supper, and its, then its looking at
homework often times with the kids or trying to ascertain whether they have their work
done for that day try and submit it somehow online, try and figure that part out.
Highly involved in the children’s learning, before and during this stage of the pandemic,
Joe was very aware of how emergency remote learning was affecting his daughter’s motivation,
citing that she was “definitely struggling and even when she does the work it seems like it’s
almost like it’s the bare minimum.” Joe felt a pressure and responsibility to ensure the daily
academic success of his children which were all experiencing emergency remote learning
differently. Joe felt deeply that Maddy’s low motivation and inability to organize and structure

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herself was leading to increased stress, worry, low moods, and sadness from being isolated from
her peers and friends.
Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work that was continuing to flood in, with
unattainable due dates, and not feeling able to connect with her teacher to support her
understanding of the content became an ongoing stressor for Maddy. Reaching out to others
when needing help was always hard for her and so the inability to connect face-to-face with her
teacher made this even harder. Missing the relationship with her teacher, she explained, “not
seeing her is kind of a stress because you’re like, some of the work you don’t understand as well
without her.” Finding it challenging without the teacher in person to help with understanding
topics, she became reliant on her virtual morning check ins with her teacher and the opportunity
to receive support and help with outstanding questions. Virtual learning wasn’t all negative for
Maddy as she recognized that the ability to work at her own pace, sans frequent task switching,
actually supported her ability to focus without distractions and complete tasks. Completing tasks
made her feel better as she described, “I like when I get to hand stuff in because then it’s just
another thing lifted on my chest and I don’t have to worry about anymore.” Maddy felt and
appreciated her father’s motivating and supportive nature as she navigated the challenges faced
with learning in this new unique way.
Being raised in a family that speaks openly about mental health and well-being, Maddy
has always had a thorough understanding of her struggles, but also her resources and strengths in
navigating her stress. While experiencing unique changing expectations and ways of living,
Maddy’s family attempted to maintain family connection and communication through game
nights and outdoor physical activities in order to promote their family mental health and cope

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with the stressors of the uncertainty that they faced. Fortunate enough to have a friend who lived
a few houses away, Maddy was able to engage in some social distancing outside play with her.
Noticing the toll of the pandemic beginning to impact not only the children’s mental
health but the parents, Joe insightfully highlighted his and his wife’s increased stress and recent
“on edge” nature and the toll it had on the rest of the family and communication break downs.
While the family was hopeful that in person instruction would resume shortly, Joe felt that
emphasizing structure, student collaboration in planning and organizing a schedule, and frequent
teacher connection and check ins and personal interactions would be most helpful for his
daughter as they navigated the emergency remote learning period.
Just over a year later Maddy was completing her grade seven year in a newly built
school. She was becoming accustomed to the new norm of COVID-19 safety precautions like
mask wearing and social distancing measures. Having additionally experienced remote learning
in January 2021, Maddy felt that the many changes of the last year, limited contact with people,
lack of support from teachers, feelings of discouragement and failure, difficulty learning online,
and the distraction and disorganization of learning from home contributed to her worsening
ADHD, which she described as her ability to focus and her motivation. Reflecting on the
challenges of the past year Maddy shared:
It was just really hard to like stay ahead when I'm at home because, well, I had siblings
and it was just really easy to get distracted and umm it was just harder to focus like I even
had trouble focusing at school. So online was pretty hard. Whenever like I needed help, I
wouldn't really get what I needed like I needed more than just like a call after school.
Although remote learning had been recently reinstated in her city in attempts to lower the
COVID-19 case count, Maddy’s new ADHD diagnosis and her parents’ essential worker status

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allowed her the opportunity to participate in a new hybrid model of synchronized learning.
Meaning that those with necessary learning accommodations were able to attend in person while
the remainder of the student simultaneously learned virtually. Expressing her gratitude towards
this opportunity to learn in person she described, “that was really nice. And I mean I have been
ahead pretty recently, which is really good and I feel confident and I feel like that's a good
thing.” While she talked about the positives, Maddy was sure to be transparent about some of the
challenges associated with it adding:
It can be difficult sometimes because my teacher is online with other classmates. But
after that then she will help us, which is fun. And other than that I really miss my friends
at school and I miss hanging out with people when I can or like in my free time.
Maddy felt fortunate to have had a teacher who was very understanding and
acknowledged that students had a lot on their plate during this time and supported them in
prioritizing next steps. Having experienced online learning herself as a student, Maddy described
feeling very understood and supported by her teacher, who prioritized her student’s well-being
and often checked in on their “stress levels”. Teacher’s struggles to adapt to new ways of
teaching like emergency remote learning, and synchronized mixed approaches were obvious to
Maddy and Joe and it became evident to them that they too were experiencing strain and
stressors with adapting. Maddy emphasized an important message for other teachers:
I would definitely tell them to make sure their students are doing well and like just make
sure they're doing like good in their mental state too, and it's not too overwhelming all the
work and just make sure they're getting it done like and know their understanding of it.
Experiencing firsthand the “cumulative impact” of the last year of pandemic and social
distancing measures such as emergency remote learning and isolation from peers, Joe’s focus

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shifted from prioritizing academics early on in the initial stages, to his increasing concern of his
children’s mental health and well-being. Maddy was insightfully self-aware about her experience
of the pandemic, emergency remote learning, the many shifts in learning approach, and the effect
on her ability to focus, “get things done,” procrastination, and motivation. She explained, “I
think I've developed more ADHD over the time because it has been really stressful and it's just
not fun to do so it has affected my mental state to.” Having always struggled with change,
Maddy confidently shared that she felt that the ebbs and flows of the last year had “definitely
affected” her more than others and lent to her feeling a sense of discouragement in herself. As
school, extra curriculars, social hangouts, and everything Maddy’s life shifted to virtual “she
would tell you straight up, she hates the online activities” Joe shared.
Recognizing the lack of routine, structure, social connections, and typical activities for
Maddy and their other children, Joe and Maddy developed a new appreciation for in person
learning, mental health awareness and promotion, and connection and understanding. As an
active participant in advocating for Maddy’s mental health, well-being, and academic success,
Joe emphasized the critical nature of mental health check ins, interactive engagement, and
connection and structure for youth during these unprecedented times. He shared, “the worst
mental health I saw with the kids was when they had to do stuff when they were more virtual,
you know, that is the worst I've seen my kids in terms of their mental health.”
Maddy’s hopelessness, impacted motivation, and increased sadness was a shared
experience within her family. With the novelty of the pandemic, and increased motivation of
parents to continue to engage their children beginning to wear off, Joe elaborated on the
increasing tensions and stressors within his family unit. He described:

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It's almost like depressing, you almost feel more depressed as a family because things
shut down again, right, and you can’t do anything and yea. It's been more stressful for
parents too, like myself and my wife, we feel more stressed as time goes on you feel, it’s
almost like a hopeless feeling, right, that you kind of get and you end up with less
activities with the kids, less caring sometimes almost you feel less caring.
For Maddy, the hardest part was the impacted Christmas and traditional celebrations. She shared
with sadness:
you wouldn't be able to see family or friends and do things how you would like in
normal, like without a pandemic. Which was really hard ‘cause it was really hard not to
do like some of the same things that you would do and miss out on it. It would just not be
as fun and I don’t know just… sadder.
Additionally, experiencing the “compound” effect of working in mental health during the
pandemic, while attempting to support additional stressors and responsibilities within his home,
Joe highlighted the present essence of fatigue and burnout impacting him. As a person who once
“reenergized and recharged” through social connections with peers and friends, Joe himself was
feeling the weight of the social restrictions. He shared how this, combined with his children and
wife’s ongoing impact and struggles, was leading to what he believed was the “worst
relationship with [their] kids that [that] had our whole entire life.”
In attempt to mitigate the negative toll experienced throughout the family, academic
expectations were lowered, although Joe commented on worrying about the children’s ability to
“catch back up” eventually. Recognizing the “deterioration in mental health” in the family, it was
decided that they would carefully loosen their adherence to social distancing measures by

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expanding their social bubble to allow for a friend to safely interact with the children. In doing so
Joe noticed that the children:
started like looking forward to things again…they were off their tablets more, smiling a
lot more, their general well-being went up, it increased for sure. I don’t know how you
want to classify well-being, but they were happier, they were arguing less with parents,
they were even more engaged a little bit with schooling, like they just generally felt a bit
better.
As Maddy and her family navigated the ever-changing pandemic, she developed a greater
sense of responsibility within her household. She explained:
I have been helping a lot with siblings or like we have two dogs and three geckos, so I've
been helping a lot with them, all of that, I guess. And just like helping my parents do
chores or if they need help with something then I will be there, I guess.
Feeling better equipped to support her siblings when needed, Maddy experienced a sense of
confidence in her role as a big sister. Although she did enjoy spending time with her siblings
hanging out outside doing fun activities together, Maddy was extremely happy to see some of
friends again. Her passion for writing continued to grow during this time, often leaning on her
writing to help her navigate difficult and stressful situations. With excitement Maddy shared, “I
really enjoy writing even about my life or past experiences I just find it really calming and
enjoyable, really.”
While Maddy shared many difficult and challenging hurdles faced by her and her family
over the last year, she remained motivated and hopeful that her world would return to a more
familiar pre-pandemic experience. She looked forward to eventually having the rest of her fellow
classmates return to the classroom, allowing her to finally meet them, and enjoying the fun of

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summer activities like camping, swimming, and seeing family. Hope, a positive outlook, and
optimism for the future were all central for Maddy during this pandemic, quoting that “some
things just remind you that you have to stay positive.”

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Chapter Five: Across Participant Findings
This chapter provides a summary of the results of the across-participant analysis. As
presented in Chapter Four, the initial and follow up youth and parent interviews revealed
participants youths’ individual experiences. Commonalities across participants and conceptual
themes were also evident. Employing Braun and Clarke’s (2006) approach to deductive thematic
analysis revealed several commonalities but also points of variety and difference. Due to the
array of youth experiences and differences in the amount of information provided by each youth
and their parents during the research interview, the criterion for inclusion of across-participant
theme was not that it was discussed by each participant, but that it was discussed by at least a
half of the participants or otherwise specified. Parent interviews were used to supplement theme
findings. In specifically identified circumstances parents described their own unique themes.
Across overarching case propositions five themes were identified: (a) COVID19learning impact (b) COVID-19 mental health impact, (c) youth interpersonal competencies, (d)
COVID-19 family dynamics, & (e) adaptive systems and processes. There were also more
specific sub case propositions associated with each overarching proposition (see Table 3 below).
In this chapter, each case proposition and its overarching themes are discussed, and subthemes
are used to further describe overarching themes. Direct quotes are included in the presentation of
the findings and are italicized to signify and highlight the participant voices.

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Table 3
Case Propositions and Qualitative Themes
Case Propositions
COVID-19 Learning
Impact

Themes
Challenges
• Focus And Motivation
• Overwhelm
• Asking for Help

Follow Up Themes
Rushed Learning
• Missing Content
• Feeling Behind
• Feeling Ill Prepared for Next Year

Strengths
• Self-Pacing

Difficulty of Online Learning

Missing School and Teachers
• Direct Instruction
• Hands On Learning
• Familiarity
COVID-19 Mental
Health Impact

Stress
• Feeling Down
Worry
• School Related Worry
• Health Related Worry

New Appreciation for in Person Learning
• Appreciation For 50/50 And
Synchronized Learning

Mental Health Concerns
• Increased Stress and Anxiety
• School Related Worry
• Sadness And Depression
Missing Friends
• Friendship Appreciation
Long Haul Mental Health Impacts
Improvement in Stress and Anxiety
Importance of Mental Health

Youth Individual
Competencies

Personal attributes
• Determination
• Independence
• Perspective
Coping Skills
• Breathing
• Music
• Distraction
• Physical Activity
• Relationships

Personal Attributes
• Independence
• Determination and Perseverance
Coping Strategies
• Relationships

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Case Propositions

Themes

Follow Up Themes

COVID-19 Family
Dynamics

New Roles
• Juggling Responsibilities
• Parental Overwhelm

Family Closeness

Increased Irritability

Parental Mental Health Strain

Parental Educational Support
• Routine

Parental Educational Support

Teachers
• Connection &
Engagement
• Lack of Mental Health
Support
• Lack of Structure &
Consistency
• Lack of Feedback &
Individual Support

Teachers
• Connection & Engagement
• Accessible
• Teacher Impact

Family School Collaboration
• Increased
Communication
• Lack of Communication

Family School Collaboration
• Lack of Collaboration
• Helpful Collaboration
Experienced
• Increased Collaboration &
Communication

Adaptive Systems &
Processes

Increased Independence

Hope & Motivation
• Increased Motivation
• Hope & Optimism for the Future

COVID-19 Learning Impact
With schools provincially all shifting to emergency remote learning, all participants’
educational experiences changed at the time of the initial interviews. Learning meant engaging in
school activities, acquiring new knowledge, understanding concepts, focusing on school related
content, mastering new skills, and completing work. While they all reported challenges
associated with learning online, some of the participants were able to identify strengths

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associated with the new delivery method. However, all the participants reflected on missing
elements related to their school-based experiences.
Challenges
Concerns related to school challenges related to the interruptions of emergency remote
instruction, demonstrated disengagement, impacted motivation and time management, and
increased academic worries (Cohen et al., 2020; Ellis et al., 2020; Lessard & Puhl, 2021; Li et
al., 2021; Save the Children, 2021; Scott et al., 2021). Youth within my study also experienced
these issues. Participants identified three major themes related to challenges learning online
during the initial interviews which included impacted focus and motivation, overwhelm, and
difficulty asking for help.
Focus and Motivation. Unanimously, all the youth identified focus and motivation while
online learning to be a great challenge as they attempted to adapt to new environments and
distractions. For example, Sam described the impact emergency remote learning had on his
motivation sharing:
At school I usually find that one of the things I learned is that teachers are actually
something I really need because they are kind of, it’s almost like a subconscious thing
that I have to kinda stay on track in school, whereas, without them here at home it
definitely feels like I can goof off and kind of do whatever and then I can’t get back to
work and then yeah I don’t know.
Another participant, Bella said, “The only thing is that now I am like constantly
distracted by family members, other things in the house, my phone, so I do find it hard to get
started on work sometimes.” These findings highlight the lack of routine and structure associated
with emergency remote learning but also the difficulty of focusing on school when you are at

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home with new distractions. An example of this was when Sam said, “It just showed you like
how much harder it is to be um self-controlling and like having to plan and schedule your day
out.” Adjusting to learning in an environment with novel distractions poses difficulties and youth
felt it was extremely hard to focus and minimize distractions while learning at home.
Overwhelm. Both the parents and the youth felt overwhelmed; the youth felt it was too
much to adjust to this new way of learning with little guidance and parents felt it in the context
of the expectations to become supplementary teachers of their children as they adapted to remote
learning. Participants described overwhelm as too much schoolwork, difficulty keeping up and
accomplishing tasks, difficulty participating in activities, and the combination of their emotional
experiences. Three of the parents observed a general sense of overwhelm in their children
regarding their children’s school workload. For many, they were concerned about the on-going
continued level of content focused academic work and high expectations being put on their
children during this time of uncertainty and transition and the toll that took on their children. The
youth were challenged and overwhelmed by the continual academic demands, the adoption of a
new learning platform, and the expectations to continue to persevere amidst these changes with
limited academic, social, and emotional support from school staff.
Sam’s mom described:
Those first two weeks while they were trying to get their heads together and figure what
this was all about and teachers were again, in my opinion, pushing forward like kids who
are in front of them in their classrooms and teaching at an unrealistic pace.
Sam explained:
So, there was a time where everything I was handing in a week and a half ago was all late
because I’d just gotten to a point where I was so overwhelmed, I was like ‘oh no, how am

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I going to get this done…So, I think, yeah, that is definitely something that overwhelms
people, yeah.
He also offered his perspective on the overwhelm of his peers stating:
I would say just that, just kinda thinking that a lot of kids, I think teachers haven’t fully
like, I guess like, calmed down the course load, and so I feel like some kids are getting
behind. Yeah, I guess, I think teachers haven’t slowed down, like it’d been recommended
by I think the provincial government. And I can understand where they are coming from,
but I think they aren’t necessarily thinking of like the mental health aspect of people
getting stressed out and stuff like that. Because I think that is one of the reasons why I
have found a little bit more stress in people and stuff like that.
In describing his daughter, Maddy’s dad said:
She does feel a constant pressure because she said like she feels so stressed out that she
can’t get all her work and she doesn’t know what to do, uhm its almost like a, probably
an overwhelmingness than a lack of sense of direction. That’s causing a little bit of her
problems too and why she’s not motivated because if she is overwhelmed and doesn’t
have that direction like, well…let’s just, just leave it whatever, walk away, feels more
comfortable. Yeah so, because she did a number of times tell me how stressed she was,
how she feels so much stress, how, it’s just too much, kind of her words, just too much,
can’t do kind of thing so…there has been more frustration and stress over school, more
tearfulness and overwhelmingness feelings from her as she expresses them anyways.
These are a few examples of what it was like for youth to be overwhelmed and then what the
parents said about it. Undeniably overwhelm felt by youth influenced their ability to engage to

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the best of their ability in online learning and learn effectively. Additionally, it affected their
emotional well-being.
Asking for Help. Three of the four youth spoke about their struggles with asking for help
amidst the challenges of emergency remote learning. Sam said:
There have been times where I have been like a week behind on some stuff and I
definitely felt shy or scared to ask the teacher a question about it because I’m that far
behind and so I think that honestly make it a little bit harder, just like, yeah.
Bella explained:
Well, I feel like I’m not learning as much as I should be because it’s pretty difficult to ask
questions and understand the projects when it’s all been given online, so it’s almost like I
feel like I’m harassing my teacher asking so many questions because there’s so little
detail about the assignments.
Many youth were worried about asking for help because they felt they should know about what
to be doing, that it brought unwanted attention or reflected poorly on them, and that they were
burdening their already overworked teachers.
Strengths
All the youth were able to identify strengths, what worked for them, and what they liked
about emergency remote learning including three of the four who emphasized the benefits
associated with being able to self-pace and incorporate flexibility into their schedules. Not
having the distractions of the classroom, or the expectation of the structured school day, and
teacher implemented task switching was posing a benefit to the youth.
Self-Pacing. The ability to determine the structure of their day and incorporate flexibility
into the assignments they worked on, for how long and at what pace, proved to be a significant

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strength for youth. Several spoke about the benefit of not having to follow a fixed daily schedule
and school-based structure and not having to abide by frequent task switching found in typical
school days. Sam discussed the benefit of his flexibility but also the consequences sharing:
It’s definitely nice knowing that I have the flexibility to do stuff whenever I want, but
like I said earlier not necessarily having a schedule does make it hard to stay on track so,
it kind of balances out there so.
Bella felt that “Being able to take it at my own pace has really helped as well.” Adding that:
Taking it at your own pace has really helped my anxiety and making sure that I don’t
have a lot of pressure instead of some other assignments where it’s like you have to get it
done by this date with this many points, this is your grade and all that.
While the consensus amongst the youth’s parents was that the shift to emergency remote
learning was not beneficial to their children’s academic success or overall well-being, one parent
was able to reflect on some of the growth opportunities despite how hard it was to complete the
school tasks. Bella’s mom shared with enthusiasm:
I will say the one thing that has been the silver lining in this is that Bella has shown a lot
of independence, which is good, because I am not a teacher, so I spend my focus with the
homeschooling is with her younger sister. I think it’s like that fact that Bella can work at
her own pace works really well with her mental health I think. So she doesn’t feel the
pressure of keeping up with her peers necessarily, or also being slowed down by her
peers.
She further explained:

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So I think just like the environment of home allows her to go into her room and crack
down and then like take a break and have a snack and then get back to it. It seems to be
working ok for her, like her specifically.
Maddy felt that there were elements that made learning easier explaining that “just like
having the time of day, because sometimes well the teacher is like let’s switch to the next thing
and if you’re not done yet you can just slowly finish that.” In this context, remote learning
provided the opportunity for youth to explore different ways of approaching schoolwork and in a
different context presented a unique opportunity for youth to develop independence and selfdetermination.
Missing School & Teachers
In discussing the impact of learning during these unprecedented times, the youth spoke to
missing elements of their norm including their school, teachers, direct instruction, hands on
learning, and the familiarity of in person learning. All the youth described missing the ability to
be in a physical classroom with their peers and teachers. For some youth, not having their
teachers in the room with them made it difficult to ask questions and to feel motivated to learn.
Others, who identified the need to be physically present in the classroom and to use more varied
learning modalities, struggled to feel engaged and longed for “hands on learning” in a social
context. Youth discussed the struggle to grasp concepts and engage in the material online alone.
Maddy spoke about missing direct instruction and not seeing her teaching sharing that,
“Not seeing her is kind of a stress because your like, some of the work you don’t understand as
well without her.” Maddy’s experiences highlight the longing for learning in a social and
relational context with her teacher and peers.

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For Sam, certain classes came with more challenges related to not having direct instruction
and he described:
I think having a teacher like I said earlier I think that was one of the main things I kind of
almost missed about some classes. Like as far as being in my chemistry classes I think
having a teacher there is more, like I think it benefits me as a student more to have them
there whereas at home it’s a little bit harder.
He later explained the critical nature of teachers and their role sharing:
I can see the benefits of having a teacher, ‘cause they give you what you need, where as a
computer, you can always type it in but it might not be exactly what you need, it might be
like slightly off from what you need, a teacher I find is just precise and yeah.
Tegan explained:
It’s kind of like I learn from like seeing things hand done and stuff or like I like when we
did like science projects or power points and stuff like that and now we don’t really get to
do that anymore so we like don’t get to do science or experiments or so that’s the one
thing that’s kind of hard and not having the teachers to explain the stuff or like not asking
my friends and stuff for help or getting to see them.
These two participants missed the relationships with their teachers and the ability to clarify and
understand concepts fully with their support when in person learning.
Even Bella, who was becoming quite acclimated with learning at home and the mental
health gains it was providing her learning from the safety and security of her home, described the
difficulty. In describing what was most helpful for her and her learning she said, “A lot of going
over things and visual learning so being able to actually see what I’m learning which has been a
little bit of a struggle because I can’t constantly see what they’re trying to explain.” Learning

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online was difficult for most participants to engage all their modalities because it was focused on
presenting lesson plans and completing written assignments. This limited the amount of
opportunities for open clarifying discussion, hands on examples, and visual demonstrations.
Learning Impact Follow Up Interviews
A year later, the four youth were contacted for their follow up interviews. After
experiencing a number of shifts and changes throughout the year with curriculum delivery and
social distancing measures, they offered in depth accounts of their experiences over the last year
and their present circumstances. At the time of the follow up interviews, the city in which the
youth resided in was seeking to lower COVID-19 case counts by adopting a 50-50 learning
model, where students attended school in person every other day and virtually on alternate dates.
While Sam and Tegan were participating in this form of learning, Bella and Maddy were able to
utilize a unique hybrid model of synchronized learning, which allowed those with necessary
learning accommodations to attend in person full time while the remainder of students
simultaneously learned virtually 50-50. Two overarching themes emerged for youth during the
follow up interviews including rushed learning and new appreciation for in person learning.
Rushed Learning
Half the youth spoke about the theme of rushed learning. This phenomenon was
described by the youth as an emphasis put on them throughout the year, in spite of the delivery
shifts, to continue a fast-paced delivery of the curriculum. Youth connected this to feeling as
though they were missing content, feeling behind, and feeling ill prepared for the next year. For
example, Bella shared with animated enthusiasm:
Our motivation is so low, but the work is coming so fast that you're putting like as much
as you can remember into projects and into assignments, but as you're like just finishing

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your last assignment new information is coming at you. So it's kind of like us learning
how to do things as fast as we can but not doing it well. Like say the first thing, I think it
was like a factory where they produced SO MUCH [emphasis], but the quality is terrible!
[light laughter].
Rushed learning felt like a focus on checking tasks off a list rather than a process of engaging
and learning the material for youth.
Difficulty of Online Learning
Upon follow up, all the youth stressed upon the difficulty of learning online as they
reflected on their year. When their initial interview summaries were read to them, several of
them commented on the different perspective they had developed throughout the year.
Bella described:
Umm I honestly I thought it was hilarious when I said that it was easier for online
learning because I took a complete 180 and it's ok very difficult now, but I think at the
time it was kind of it was almost like a honeymoon phase or like it's like everything good
and I was like always, basically a vacation and you know it was easier because I was in
the comfort of my own home and I could work at my own pace. But then, like as it went
on, especially into this year it was difficult to keep up and stay focused and in fact, I had
to up my ADHD meds because my ADHD was getting really bad which did not help.
The difficulty of sustaining attention and interest online was a huge challenge for many students.
The initial novelty had supported some motivational processes but reverting back to the online
approach at this phase of the school year proved to be extremely detrimental for youth.
Maddy shared:

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It was really hard to like stay ahead when I'm at home because, well, I had siblings and it
was just really easy to get distracted and umm it was just harder to focus like I even had
trouble focusing at school.
And later adding:
I think it affected me because like I, I had never done it before like the first time so it was
really new to me and it was different, so it was it was kind of difficult I guess the first
time because, like it's something completely different.
Difficulty of online learning was categorized by having a hard time keeping up with the world
load, feeling ill prepared to understand the concepts, struggling to remain focused and motivated,
and a sense of “throwing in the towel.”
New Appreciation for In Person Learning
As youth reflected on the challenging year, that was occupied by numerous changes and
transitions, they expressed a new appreciation for in person learning. They spoke about not
“taking things for granted,” developing new and different perspectives, and gratitude, as they
referred to their in person learning experiences.
Maddy said:
Well actually it did kind of affect me in a good way because it sort of letting me know
not to take things for granted I guess, like going to school it's not fun, but it can be better
than online learning. So it kind of taught me that…it's just way better to be in person and
you shouldn’t take it for granted I guess.
Tegan explained:

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Uh, I think being at school is definitely a lot better than being at home and then just like
if we're doing something hard, like examples going through the work and then having
someone explain it to you really well helps a lot with me learning.
Youth developed insight into how in person learning supported their learning and well-being and
how they were genuinely worried about the possibility of ever having to return to full time
remote instruction.
Appreciation for 50/50 and Synchronized Learning. While Sam and Tegan were
participating in the 50-50 learning model where students attended school in person every other
day and virtually on alternate dates, and Bella and Maddy were participating in the hybrid model
of synchronized learning, they all expressed an appreciation and improvement in their new
learning conditions in comparison to initial emergency remote instruction period. This
appreciation and improvement was described by the youth as motivating, supportive, and less
stressful.
Bella said:
But doing learning in person and being able to grow everyday really grew that motivation
because it's kind of like pushing me to do it because I have to instead of doing online
where I'm kind of just sitting there like listening, it's just like blah blah blah blah blah. So
being able to go in and get ready for my day and going to school motivates me and makes
me almost like energized, I would say.
When Tegan described how now being able to attend school in person impacted her, she
explained, “Kind of keeping me sane ‘cause I can like get out of the house. And learn and you
know, see some of my friends some more. Being in a new environment.” Youth emphasized how

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important and beneficial in person was for their academics but also their overall mood and wellbeing.
COVID-19 Mental Health Impact
My research sought to explore the influence of the COVID-19 health pandemic on youth
mental health and well-being as they navigated unprecedented learning conditions. During the
initial interviews all participants’ mental health was impacted by the initial stage of COVID-19
emergency remote learning in 2020. Stress, worry, and missing friends were three overarching
themes identified by participants.
Stress
All the youth described an overarching theme of stress in their current circumstances. For
them stress involved their “minds going a million miles per hour,” fidgeting, having too many
things to do at once, feelings of fear, and dwelling on the past. Many were overwhelmed by the
adjustment to a different learning platform, while others spent their time at home overthinking
and stressing about this new normal, as they attempted to adjust to emergency remote learning in
2020.
When describing his daughter’s experiences recently, Maddy’s dad shared:
As for her mental health wise like I see it uhm, she’s had some, a little more down time
where she feels a little bit more down and emotional you know where, this sucks I can’t
see my friends, my life is over, like the whole exaggeration that adolescents or
preadolescences do sometimes.
He later added “She does feel a constant pressure because she said like she feels so stressed out
that she can’t get all her work and she doesn’t know what to do, uhm it’s almost like a, probably
an overwhelmingness.” Another participant, Sam explained, “Like I would say it definitely, like

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uh it kind of exaggerates everything, but like I might have been a little stressed in like school, but
I can definitely like tell that I’m stressed at home like [inhales with pause].”
Bella shared her experience with overthinking during emergency remote learning sharing,
“It’s a lot of time to just sit and think, which just isn’t the best sometimes…personal life, a lot of
overthinking things, a lot of missing things and quarantine...um, not school, but the social aspect
of school, so being with people.” Bella’s mom reflected on the increased anxiety and stress in her
daughter describing:
I would say its different types of anxiety, because her anxiety has definitely gone up. We
actually talked about it today, this afternoon, that her, like just in the last about two to
three weeks her anxiety has really gone up, but I’ve asked her if it’s from school, and
she’s like ‘no, like it’s not at all because of school.
As an educator, Sam’s mom shared a noteworthy perspective describing:
Well, I would say, because I see fairly in tune with most kids, I would say that anxieties
are up, anxieties are although again anxiety is another thing that has been on the increase
of 25 years of teaching. But I would say I have never seen anxiety levels like they are
right now.
Tegan’s mom described the impact of her daughter feeling behind in school during the initial
interviews and the worry of contracting the virus explaining:
Yeah, it’s stressful. I think it’s probably the anxiety. She was doing well [pre pandemic]
and I think that might be part of the problem because when you’re used to doing okay
and loving school like she enjoyed school and now she doesn’t have that anymore and
it’s not as enjoyable.

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The parents in this study offered a unique perspective of what they were seeing in their
children’s moods, emotional experiences, and well-being, noticing signs and indicators of
increased stress. Emergency remote learning and the unfolding health pandemic disrupted
youths’ lives in many ways including their mental health. Having to adjust to new ways of
learning, not seeing friends, not knowing what the future held, and being forced to spend all their
time at home, youth were consumed with feelings of overwhelming stress.
Feeling Down. While youth’s stress reports were centered around increased anxiousness
associated with overthinking and overwhelm, the overarching theme of stress within the parent
interviews also spoke to “feeling down.” It became apparent in the parent interviews that parents
were observing an increased sense of low mood and motivation, and feelings of sadness in the
children in conjunction with a sense of “depression and grief.” Maddy’s dad said:
As for her mental health wise like I see it uhm, she’s had some, a little more down time
where she feels a little bit more down and emotional you know where, this sucks I can’t
see my friends, my life is over, like the whole exaggeration that adolescents or
preadolescences do sometimes.
With many of the changes to day-to-day life, youth felt a sense of grief and loss
associated with face-to-face contact with friends and peers, routine, and interrupted and
cancelled extracurriculars and milestone events like graduations and birthdays. Bella’s mother,
for example, discussed grief and loss as she said:
You know that whole, it’s like grieving a loss, it’s the same thing, and so it’s very
difficult for teenagers to try and navigate the equivalent of grieving, right, but that’s
really what it is. But she was very open about talking about where her anxiety comes
from is her trying to, she used a term today, she said, ‘trying to take care of myself’ and

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so there comes anxiety about trying to take care of yourself and finding a time and a way
because all of the things that we would normally do to take care of ourselves, go to the
gym, go to a movie, go out to eat, like so many of those things have been taken away, so
how do you find, and I was like, you know, ‘maybe you could go for a walk’ you know,
like not today.
Life as they knew it had changed for youth; this meant adapting to the new demands and
pressures of learning and life but also experiencing the many losses associated with the
pandemic.
Worry
Worry was a consistent theme for all four youth during this time. For youth this meant
overthinking about different aspects of school but also the COVID-19 virus and its health
implications.
School Related Worry. All of the youth expressed school related worry during the initial
interviews. This involved dwelling on thoughts of what and how much school content was being
missed or under learned, not understanding and retaining curriculum concepts, and what this
meant for their grades and future school years. For example, Sam said:
I guess like I’ve been thinking about is we are missing things that might affect me in
grade 12, so I am kind of trying to tell myself you’ve got to work twice as hard next year
to learn everything because I think we have missed a few things and in some classes I
think that like a three hour class every week or whatever that the government has
recommended. So I think we are missing a little bit so I have kind been like throughout
the whole pandemic I’ve kinda been like telling myself next you’ve got to work really

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hard to get everything done because you missed have missed some of it so you need to
work hard in those.
Another participant, Tegan explained:
Sometimes I have little problems with the work, but now it’s like I am kind of worried
‘cause they don’t have the teachers to explain the work to me and walk me through the
classes that like I might mess up and then like my grade will be affected.
Not only did youth spend a lot of time worrying and thinking about how their learning was being
affected in the present time, but also the future and how it would be affected because of this.
Preparation for the upcoming year was a major worry for Bella who shared:
I’m a little worried about that just because since school has been cut off, all of our
preparations and the last few months of school we were really going to start talking about
grade 9 and since that’s all been cut off, we haven’t really talked about. So yeah, I don’t
feel like I’m going to be super ready.
Maddy shared, “just worrying that I will like fail my grade or something.” Maddy’s worries also
centered around awaiting the development of a new school as she shared:
Well, it’s hard because we can’t really see much people anymore so, yeah and we are
like, we don’t even know when we will go back, that’s the sad part. And we are like
going to a new school soon and that’s like not built yet because they had to postpone it
because of the pandemic I’m not even sure.
The uncertainty of the pandemic left youth inundated with unanswered questions about what
their future looked like, as feelings of worry and loss replaced what was once excitement for the
future.

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Health Related Worry. While some of the youth expressed expected curiosity and
worry about the unknowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, one youth in particular experienced
tremendous health related worry. This was described as worrying about contracting the virus and
extreme caution around not contracting the virus. Tegan explained, “because I notice with this
whole COVID thing I have become a lot more paranoid.” Worried about contracting the virus
and becoming sick she said, “Kind of like I have been like wanting to like to disinfect everything
or stuff that doesn’t need to be disinfected and sometimes like you just want to stay away.” This
extreme caution and worry resulted in excessive hand washing as she explained, “Washing my
hands has become like a big problem, not a big problem like I was my hands like a lot with stuff
that [pause].” Her mother added:
She’s quite paranoid like it’s, it is concerning, just because it’s the focus everywhere. It’s
just on that so, I don’t know how to explain it, all this is really stressful for her. I think
because she’s older and really understands.
Later in the interview she provided context for her daughter’s worry explaining:
And I’m in a higher risk group, I’m diabetic so that I think worries her. Even to go
outside she’s paranoid in the neighborhood …or just um having people bring things to
our house, even groceries and stuff, she gets pretty paranoid. It’s not in a helpful way,
she’s only thirteen.
Youth in this study worried not just about school-based work and the grief associated with
missed social opportunities, but also about other people in their lives and how acquiring the virus
could impact them.
Missing Friends

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All the youth were experiencing the social impact of provincially mandated social
distancing measures at the time of the initial interviews. With restrictions limiting contact with
those outside the home and schools shifting to emergency remote learning, access to their peers
and friends was far from what they were used too. For example, Sam explained the change in the
contact with friends stating:
I definitely see them a little bit less, well there is less human connection, I almost even
feel like there is a little bit less if you took pre-COVID times when you’re talking to them
in school and stuff like that.
Another participant Tegan, quickly and concisely shared early in her interview “I do miss
my friends.” Her mom also observed this longing stating:
Yeah like even seeing, we live on a busy street, we see walkers and we live near the bike
path so even seeing kids together on their bikes, like a group of six to seven kids, that
kind of makes her miss it and she’s kind of mad because well they’re not social
distancing but I think it’s more like she wished she could.
Tegan’s mother later described encouraging her daughter to connect virtually with friends
explaining, “I did tell her. I would prefer her to do it more often, yeah. All of them are really
missing their friends and that’s the biggest impact is no friends.” Without the ability to socialize
in person, connecting with friends looked and felt different for youth and while they were able to
virtually connect it did not replace the richness and value of spending time with friends in
person.
Mental Health Impact Follow Up Interviews
In 2021 when the youth were interviewed again, they offered their perspective on the
experience of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to their mental health and well-being. Themes

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emerged related to negative mental health, missing friends and family, long haul mental health
impacts, improved stress and anxiety, and the importance of mental health.
Mental Health Concerns
Reflecting on the last year of turmoil and change, all the youth and parents identified
mental health concerns directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the year youth
reported increased stress and anxiety, feelings of sadness and depression, a sense of overwhelm,
and school related worry.
Increased Stress & Anxiety. As youth discussed the past year, they noted moments of
increased stress and anxiety, expressed as ruminating and worrisome thoughts, intense emotions
such as fear and overwhelm, and physical responses such as fidgeting. Stress was typically
connected to the challenges of online learning, social isolation, and adapting to constant change.
Sam described his experience with change and stress over the last year explaining:
School is probably the main one ‘cause again, it was like last year is a big shift to go from
at home or start at school, which is all I knew. To completely at home. Which was a big
switch and at school I'm not used to big like changes like that, which I think was a big
uhh a big change.
The constant and continual changes manifested as worrisome thoughts, intense emotions, and
difficulties with adjusting to new experiences during this time.
Another youth Bella said:
So before like at the start of grade nine I was impacted pretty bad with all of them trying
to focus and not knowing what to do. And it was also it was just overwhelming for me
‘cause I would constantly like I would become irritable as well around people and I hated
that ‘cause I would just like snap because I was so stressed.

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Experiencing so many unknowns and changes throughout the year left youth feeling more stress
and anxious. This presented itself in low patience and tolerance and also outward expressions of
frustration within relationships.
School Related Worry. At the time of the follow up interviews, half of the youth
expressed worry surrounding their academic progress which meant worrying about their grades
as well as meeting curriculum, grade-level goals, and outcomes. This was experienced as
overthinking about due dates, understanding of concepts, retention, feelings of being behind, and
ill preparedness for the coming year.
Bella explained her preparations for next year sharing:
For me, I'm going to need to really focus in on comprehending what I'm learning and
maybe even going back and looking over ‘cause I tend to keep my notes from past
grades. So try to like go over them and make sure I know what I'm doing so that in the
real world and then like when I go into university, I will be able to understand. And the
big worry about is I'm going like I'm planning well and doing something in psychology
like a psych major and science is a big part of that so I am having trouble remembering
things in like biology and chemistry and all that which I'm going to need. So it's going to
be pretty difficult for me, which is another thing I just like overthink.
Uniformed and unsure about what future schooling and learning entailed, youth were at times
consumed by worrisome thoughts about the reality of their future plans and goals.
Sadness & Depression. One of the youth spoke specifically about feelings of
“depression”. For them depression was connected to decreased motivation and an inability to
focus on schoolwork. While the youth shared this, she also offered that as an “above average

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student” who obtained good grades but who often went undetected even when she was struggling
to concentrate and feel good about how well she was doing academically. Bella said:
My depression's been super like on like also roller coaster during this so when it gets
really bad and completely stops. Uhm, I have a really hard time being motivated during
those times, so it's kind of just like sitting in bed and only doing the bare minimum in
school. Which is like apparently great for teachers. Which is why I fly under the radar
because my standards and my bare minimum is just I guess average per student I guess
you would say if that makes sense.
Her mom added:
The last six months have been pretty hard, but she’s been getting some counselling and
she did actually have like a clinical diagnosis of depression this year, so she has started
some medication as well, so we’ll see how it goes.
Signs of deteriorating mental health such as feelings of sadness and depression may present
themselves through an array of behaviors that may not always be detected in the academic
functioning of youth.
Missing Friends & Milestones
As the province experienced one of the most strenuous social distancing mandates in the
country, all the youth expressed a deep longing for their friends and socially expected milestones
such as graduation, celebrations, and traditions. The social isolation of not being able to interact
with peers, friends, and extended family impacted youth negatively through increased feelings of
stress, sadness, and isolation and loneliness.
Maddy said:

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I really miss my friends at school, and I miss hanging out with people when I can or like
in my free time… the hardest thing was probably Christmas or like any traditional
celebration, you wouldn't be able to see family or friends and do things how you would
like in normal, like without a pandemic. Which was really hard ‘cause it was really hard
not to do like some of the same things that you would do and miss out on it. It would just
not be as fun and I don’t know just… sadder.
Because of the significant deterioration in her mental health, Maddy’s dad decided to pivot, he
explained:
We shifted also a little bit in our adherence to the rules, to allow for a little bit of
flexibility there because I'd rather be fined than have my child harming herself, that was
kind of the point where I realized that academics aren’t that important and neither is
adhering strictly to rule when I'm seeing my children suffer, so at that point I was like no,
we need to change and we also looked into, obviously, other ways to be helpful for our
children. And I had a big talk with them and things like but all this online schooling and
being away from their friends and stuff like that, really really was hard.
All the parents spoke about the isolation and longing for friendship and connection their children
were experiencing. Feeling that the risk of not being flexible with social distancing measures was
far greater than the alternative, many parents relaxed their adherence to the strict provincially
imposed social distancing measures.
Tegan’s mom described:
It was just disappointing because where my teen goes to school they have like a little
graduation ceremony and stuff when they’re leaving grade 8, and that was different, so
she was just really disappointed, so we had to find other ways for her to celebrate that.

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It was difficult for parents to notice how hard it was for most youth to not experience the big,
anticipated milestone events like graduation, safe grad, sporting events, and holidays. For youth,
these disruptions to events that once brought them so much joy and comfort and for those they
had long awaited it was tremendously grueling to make sense of. Friends, milestones, and
traditions are an important aspect of their lives that they look forward to and without them they
felt sad, lonely, and anxious.
Friendship Appreciation. In experiencing bouts of social isolation and longstanding
time apart from their friends and peers, three of the youth expressed a new appreciation of the
friendships in their lives. The pandemic offered them new perspectives on the quality of their
friendships as they withstood time apart and the importance and role of close connections in
well-being. For example, Tegan stated, “I'm definitely seeing like who's really trying to, you
know, be involved and trying to connect even I these hard times. Uh, like seeing who's really
there for you has been really good for friendship wise.” While the imposed social distancing
measures were meant to keep people physically apart, they revealed youth’s deep sense of
appreciation and importance of those who creatively found ways to remain involved and
connected.
Long Haul Mental Health Impacts
All the youth’s parents spoke to the toll that the prolonged exposure of the pandemic had
taken on their social, emotional, mental, and physical health. This exposure included
experiencing multiple shifts in learning platforms, adapting to new roles, extreme social
distancing and quarantine measures, and experiences of heightened fear, worry, and uncertainty
regarding the virus and the future. Sam’s mom, an educator herself, offered her observations of
her own children and her students explaining, “The kids have been holding on to all of those

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things now for a year. Such prolonged period of stress and uncertainty and change and trauma
and just family flux that is happening all the time.” Bella’s mom said:
There was a lot of stress coming out of the school year and then the summer, like, it just
felt like they were being robbed of everything and little did they know they were going to
be robbed even more. So the summer was hard on her mental health, the summer was
hard. We had a, she had a couple times she was in the crisis unit.
This resulted in feelings of burn out, and adapting rules and expectations regarding schooling
and provincially imposed social distancing measures.
Tegan’s mom explained:
Like the kids today, they wanted to play with the neighbors, and the neighbors are fine
with them playing together even though we’re not allowed to be in each other’s yard, and
I'm fine with it. I’m just, I had to have that moment like, can I afford a $1200 fine? But I
was just like, go ahead, like I'm not even worried, but yeah, so it just looks like I just
don’t want to do any of it anymore and I'm not like an anti-masker, I'm not against it, I
don’t think it’s a conspiracy, none of that, I'm just tired.
Navigating the social and emotional costs of the prolonged stringent social distancing rules to
their family was a difficult process for parents after a year of the pandemic. For many, the social
cost of public perception, government enforcement, and penalty were outweighed by the
tremendous toll the social distancing rules had taken on their children’s mental health for so
long.
Improvement in Stress & Anxiety
After reflecting on the difficulty of learning throughout the pandemic upon being
reinterviewed in 2021, all of the youth were reporting an improvement in their levels of stress

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and anxiety. These improvements were accredited to youth’s own personal development and
learned strategies, loosening of social distancing measures and quarantine restrictions, and the
return to normalcy. For example, Sam said:
I feel like since I had that experience last year of like being at home the whole time and a
lot of stress, I feel like it's gotten easier for me to cope with like I have this this and this
do so I feel like I've actually been given the ability to kind of cope with stress a little bit
better. Which has for sure helped my mental health like as far as if I'm stressed or not.
While Maddy explained:
Well, yeah, probably it has been less stressful lately. Not being online and having the
option like of help and stuff. It has been way better and less stressful to get work done
‘cause we always have like that extra period at the end of the day to get any unfinished
work done, which is a help. And we have like more resources at school and stuff so it's
better all around and just less. Especially since I don't need to take care of my siblings
during the day. ‘cause like they're in their own class and they they're doing what they're
doing.
The return of the social familiar, the development of personal skills like independence and
determination, and the adaptation of schools and families contributed to youth’s well-being after
a year of turmoil and change.
Additionally, the assurance of safety protocols and vaccination roll outs alleviated the
worry and preoccupation of one of the youth. Tegan said:
Taking the safety measures and just getting really just getting used to it up has gave me
more peace of mind now…Yeah it has like just adapting to the way things are, has really

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helped me calm down [with enthusiasm] ... I don't know how mental health wise just I
think I just naturally like improved over the year.
It was helpful for youth to have access to emerging peer reviewed, scientific research that offered
trustworthy information regarding the COVID-19 virus, as they navigated the many unknowns of
the year. Additionally, the development and roll out of the vaccination elicited hope for the
future and the return to normalcy for the youth.
Importance of Mental Health
Two of the youth emphasized prioritizing mental health as a learning point for educators
from this unprecedent time, speaking to the importance of recognizing and considering the
mental health of youth, families, and even teachers. This was seen as checking in on students’
well-being, asking how students were doing, and inquiring beyond their academic progress.
Bella shared:
I would say a big thing, and I've talked, I talked about it a bit, but just like a big thing is
making sure you're checking up on people. even like, not just like teenagers and kids but
adults because I feel like they don't talk about it as much or if they do, it's very secretive.
And just being able to like not be ashamed if something is going wrong because I feel
like everyone is having something go wrong.
Having frequent, open, and honest conversations about mental health and well-being contributes
to youth’s perceptions of safety and normalization. Good learning involves good mental health,
so it is critical that educators prioritize and pay attention to youth and how they are doing not
only during times of “global stress.”
Youth Individual Competencies

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Hoping to better understand what individual level adaptive systems were vital to
promoting their wellness and resilience during the COVID-19 health pandemic, youth were
asked to reflect on their personal attributes and coping strategies in the face of adversity. Youth
generally offered these personal reflections with humility and reluctance to acknowledge their
strengths.
Personal Attributes
The youth were insightful about the interpersonal competencies and qualities that
supported their well-being, and that supported them in their successes and challenges. They
described personal attributes such as their determination, independence, and perspective.
Tegan said, “And then with schoolwork I am kind of just like staying determined. I have
just been trying to finish up my work and keep on schedule.” Bella said:
I would say I’m pretty independent with most things. But when it gets to a point where I
start panicking, I want to be independent, but I also know I can’t because I need help, so
it doesn’t always work out. So I try to be as independent as I can, which works most of
the time.
Sam said, “I don’t give up that easily.” Youth’s awareness and utilization of their own internal
strengths were useful to them in times of challenge and difficulty.
Coping Strategies
Youth described the coping strategies that supported them in navigating difficult times
such as the COVID-19 pandemic, citing several relaxation techniques such as breathing, music,
distraction, physical activity, and relationships as important strategies that facilitated their
resilience and well-being.

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When asked what helped Maddy when she was stressed out, she explained, “Well, I uhm
listen to music sometimes, just [sigh] calm down, take a breath.” Sam relied on the power of
music sharing, “I’ve always found that when I’m stressed a little bit I like listening to music,
because music in general has always been something I like listening to and stuff like that.” Bella
described, “I use distraction a lot, so going and doing something I enjoy or trying to get my mind
off it with that or going to talk to someone, maybe my mom probably.” Bella further shared
relationships were important for her coping sharing:
Well, I focus a lot on relationships, they’re huge for me. So friendships, romantic
relationships, family relationships. I focus a lot on that, so being able to communicate
helps a lot. I enjoy helping others, so helping others almost helps myself because it makes
me feel like I can do something, so that works a lot.
Interestingly, relationships served as a form of distraction, connection, and positive
communication when faced with hard times.
Three of the four parents emphasized the importance of physical activity for their
children, especially during the time of quarantine and isolation. Maddy’s dad explained, “She
wouldn’t admit it, but she always feels better after she gets outside and takes the dogs for a walk
or something” adding the observable benefits he noticed:
And she wouldn’t admit it helps, but she visibly looks different when she comes back
sometimes and visibly feels different. Like you can see it you know, when she goes, she’s
all grumbly and unhappy and maybe wasn’t the best day and maybe even argued early
because she was completely negative the whole last two hours but then she will come
back, and she will just be so much happier and refreshed.

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Getting physical and outside in nature was a great way for youth to cope with their stressors and
also engage with the world outside of their homes during strict isolation periods.
Youth Individual Competencies Follow Up Interviews
While the youth showed an innocence and humility around acknowledging and
discussing their individual traits and internal capacities in the initial interviews, they
demonstrated a confidence and self-awareness when exploring them with the researcher in the
follow ups. Having navigated a year of tremendous adversity and change, the youth developed a
greater understanding of their own personal qualities and strengths.
Personal Attributes
All of the youth identified a growth in their independence over the course of the year. For
one, this meant obtaining employment and navigating the challenges of government-imposed
health restrictions and safety polices in the workplace. For other participants, independence
meant relying on their own resources to problem solve, while for others it included taking on
new roles and responsibilities. For example, Sam said:
I feel like a lot more like now more so compared to earlier. So like it's a lot more of me
[emphasized] solving that problem rather than me going looking for help to solve that
problem. And I actually think that's probably changed, like since even the beginning of
the pandemic and stuff like that.
The pandemic period challenged youth to trust themselves to make wise choices and solve
problems on their own in the face of challenging situations and increasing their sense of
independence.
All four of the youth also emphasized the role of their own determination and
perseverance in overcoming adversity. This was described by the youth as being “hard

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working,” “trying their best,” “adapting and overcoming,” and having a “strong focus.” Maddy
shared:
Some of my strengths umm could be if I know something really well then I won't really
give up on it. I'll just continue to move forward. I won't really downgrade I guess I just
know it and I'll like get to it until it's done!
Another youth Tegan explained, “Oh, I think like perseverance, you know, always trying to you
know adapt and overcome. That's helpful. And just like you know, just waking up and just being
like yeah I’ll try schoolwork and I’ll try my hardest.” In spite of obstacles youth learned from
their failures and distress and to try again as they pursued tasks, goals, and passions.
Coping Strategies
While youth identified several similar self-regulation and relaxation strategies that they
referenced in the initial interviews such as breathing, music, and physical activity, it was of
interest that a reoccurring theme emerged in the follow up interviews once again relating to their
resilience. Three of the youth highlighted the role of relationships as supportive mechanisms in
their coping. Having experienced several instances of intensive provincially mandated social
isolation, youth emphasized the importance of relationships in navigating challenging and
difficult situations. Tegan shared:
Uhm [pause to think] like when facing a difficult problem like in general I asked for help
but like with COVID I kind of have my little like freak out moment then like then I get
like reassurance and stuff that things will be ok and that helps.
Maddy said:
When I’m having a lot of stress and I'll usually wanna like see my friends or talk to them
or something. They usually make me feel really better and get my mind off of things for a

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bit. But other than that I can I call my friends ‘cause I can't really see them all the time
because of COVID. And uhm, it just makes me feel better to see them.
Having relationships such as family and friends that they could turn to during these times was
important to their well-being. Relationships offered them an opportunity for distraction in the
face of stress, but also close connections to talk and receive reassurance from.
COVID-19 Family Dynamics
The family system fosters resilience and promotes good mental health in youth, acting as
a buffer in protecting children’s mental health and development (Masten, 2014a). During the
initial interviews with youth and parents, families were adapting to emergency remote learning
from their homes and families were being ordered to follow provincially mandated social
distancing measures. For many people, this resulted in limited contact outside of their
households and increased time with family members within the confines of their homes,
revealing themes associated with new roles and increased irritability.
New Roles
Half the youth spoke about the new roles that were being assumed within their
households, both of whom were the eldest siblings in their family and had younger siblings also
navigating new learning platforms. Additionally, for these two, their parents continued to have to
physically go into workplace leaving the youth to take on new roles and responsibilities. Bella
said, “I have a younger sister, so it’s usually babysitting her a lot of the time, my parents do have
to go into work.” Maddy’s dad described his daughter’s supportive role with her siblings in
adapting to emergency remote learning sharing:
She has more responsibility now… for example this week and next week it’s all full time
and it’s all everyday all day and so, how that looks different now is because before when

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she turned 12 or whatever she was doing some of the before and after school care, just
getting off the bus with the kids you know after I left. But I already saw them, I already
made sure they were dressed neat and everything so, before she’s been doing a little bit of
the before and after school stuff a more of a responsibility there. And now she has all day
for at least 50 percent of the time, if not more… there’s more responsibility there for sure
with managing the house and relationships and stuff.
Maddy’s dad also said, “so, she’s got her own pressures on her to kind of keep the household
going a little bit too.” The changing routines, schedules, and demands of families meant youth
needed to take on new roles, and responsibilities such as helping their siblings with the learning,
babysitting, and even taking on new household chores.
Juggling responsibilities. Most commonly parents discussed juggling responsibilities
between their jobs, parental responsibilities, and these new educator roles. Sam’s mom
explained:
because I am expected to be working from home and the boys are up at 9 and sitting at
either the computer or their binder or whatever by 9:15. And then getting engaged…the
problem or the challenge is I kind of get absorbed in my own work, and I don’t look up
from my own work to see what they are doing or not doing. So yeah, I have got to
remember to look up more.
Bella’s mom described her family situation stating:
I’m still working, and their dad is still working as well. He’s not working as much, and I
did go down to part time at my full-time job, I was put down to part time. But then I
needed to pick up another part time job in order to financially make ends meet.
Being pulled in many directions, Maddy’s dad said:

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There are at times that it is busier for sure, absolutely because uh just two days ago I got a
called from my daughter at lunch hour and had to a video conference with her and show
her how to do some math and some other things during my lunch hour.
Managing their own working and parenting responsibilities, parents were now expected to take
on new roles and responsibilities as in home educators, making it difficult to manage their time
and energy effectively.
Parental Overwhelm. Taking on new and sudden roles often led to parental overwhelm.
For example, Maddy’s dad said:
I would say that it’s been different roles that we’ve had to play right now which has
complicated things a little more and trying to take over more of the schooling
responsibilities, seems to have put a little bit more stress on the parents. Like ourselves
it’s not always easy to try to figure that out too, uhm because I mean we have other
stresses going, as well working, we’re in the pandemic as well we have four children, we
have a lot of different stresses, it’s made it, maybe at times a little more tense at home.
Tegan’s mom spoke about the strain of not feeling equipped or prepared to support her
daughter during emergency remote learning sharing:
Just because the level of work is a little bit harder so I can’t always help her. Like I don’t
know what the math is she’s doing, I don’t remember. I haven’t done that in 30 years.
The things they, the way they do math and stuff I don’t know these new methods, so I
can’t help her and then she’s got to wait for the next meeting with the teacher which
might be two days or three days or just kind of whenever the teacher can schedule her in.
There’s not enough one on one time with the teacher, she falls behind.

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Managing parenting and work responsibilities, supporting online learning, and managing their
own emotional experiences during a global pandemic when changes were imposed and
tremendous uncertainty was ongoing led many parents to feel, not surprisingly, overwhelmed.
Increased Irritability
With increased time together and little opportunity to socialize outside of the family unit,
the families were beginning to feel the toll within their dynamics with one and other. Three of
the four parents spoke to levels of increased irritability among family members. Tegan’s mom
shared:
I think we’re all so sick of each other, like we’ve never been so close to each other…I
think it’s just us all being on top of each other like nobody has their own space, nobody
can just go and be by themselves and get some alone time. And then the thirteen-year-old
I’ve had to take her devices away from her, her phone and her tablet away from her at
night because she was up all night. She’d get sensitive and be sneaking and being on her
phone all night and waking up just miserable.
Bella spoke with kindness in explaining, “I’m also with my family all the time, which I love
them, but being with them 24 hours of the day can be stressful.” Her mother would later mirror
the sentiment stating:
The downfall has been the dynamic sister to sister, there has been some struggles with the
sisterhood in the family for sure, not having a break from each other. …Yeah, so
spending lots of time together without having a parent around, there’s some struggles
there. There’re some power struggles for sure.
Maddy’s dad described the increased irritability amongst the siblings saying, “Uhm, you
know sometimes a little more bickering lately but it’s because they see each other all the time.”

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And he also spoke about the impact of the parent’s increased irritability within the home
explaining:
If my wife for example is more tense and she’s struggling a little bit more with things
than I find it that I’m a little bit more tense. And when we are little more tense were a
little bit more irritable, the communication breaks down a little bit more, you know we
have a little bit more of a chance that when your daughters comes back sassing and really
giving a lot of attitude that you might, you might be inclined to be a little bit angry back.
To no surprise, with nowhere to turn or escape to, families became sick of one another’s
company leading tensions to run high and conflict to arise amongst family members.
Family Dynamics Follow Up Interviews
During the follow up interviews three major themes related to family emerged including
family closeness, increased independence, and parental overwhelm.
Family Closeness
All four youth spoke about family closeness increasing over the course of the year. This
was discussed by way of increased family connecting time, sibling closeness, creative
approaches to connecting, and new traditions. For example, Tegan said, “I spend more time with
my family and that's good…we go on like bike rides and walks or more often and we like watch
movies on weekends together as a family, and that's pretty good.” Her mom added:
I think it’s helped we spend more quality time together…like movie nights, and like
going for bike rides and stuff like that because we have no choice there’s nothing else to
do. Making our home a lot more comfortable, spending more money on things like
outdoor toys, making our yard nice, things like that, so they have things to do at home.

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While tensions and irritability ran high for families during the initial interviews, the follow up
interviews revealed that time spent connecting with one and other was filled with more joy and
enjoyment.
Bella described the benefits of quarantine and social distancing measures sharing:
We've gotten a lot closer. Because we've been stuck in the house together. So it's almost
like it's awesome because we don't have that privacy, which sounds not great, but it's the
truth ‘cause I can't just like go over to a friend’s house…but I can't go anywhere else
right, so I'm constantly with them. And we've found, like ways to do things together or
like do things we didn't do before COVID. Like we used to go on like walks all the time
and then we stopped, and I guess we just got lazy. But then COVID happened, and we
started taking walks again. Or we started like going out to places in Manitoba that we had
never been before for just like a day trip.
She also offered insight into the closeness that developed between her and her mom sharing:
All of my family like my mom, my dad, my sister and I we all have very busy schedules.
So before COVID it would be like school to volleyball or swimming lessons and then
supper and then homework and then this that…but since everything had closed down
there was nothing to do, so everything slowed down and I think it actually impacted my
mom the most because she is on a lot of councils and a lot of committees. She does a lot
of work and when that all slowed down she was able to be us more and be able to like
really connect with us. Which we already had a great like connection and relationship but
just being able to like her and not be constantly rushed to do things really helpful.
Forced to slow down and enjoy the pandemic’s gift of time and togetherness, families revisited
old hobbies and also found new, creative ways to bond.

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Bella’s mom said:
I think I'm closer with the girls than I was before. We were always very close anyways,
but I think that I mean obviously we’re kind of in each other’s faces a lot more even with,
like, I was working from home quite a bit, I still am. I do work from home quite a bit,
which has been good from like helping with school, or just being around, I think like the
simple things have been more fun, so like planning a fun afternoon out within COVID
restrictions has been more fun than what it might have been a couple years ago, so.
Now forced to spend time together and be close, families found their relationships with one and
other improving as they connected over new and old shared interests, novel adventures, and
traditions.
Increased Independence
With youth adopted to new roles during the COVID-19 health pandemic and the several
delivery modes of learning throughout the year, a sense of increased independence was noted by
three of youth. This meant developing new problem-solving skills and greater senses of
autonomy as they took on new responsibilities. Sam said:
I feel like a lot more like now more so compared to earlier. So like it's a lot more of me
[emphasized] solving that problem rather than me going looking for help to solve that
problem. And I actually think that's probably changed, like since even the beginning of
the pandemic and stuff like that.
Tegan excitedly shared, “I take the city bus to school. So that's been like a new thing for me.
Kind of getting more independence this year.” When asked what that experience was like for her,
she explained, “Uhm scary at first, but now it's like made me feel like more of an adult like
independent especially keeping safe on the city bus like with COVID and just in general.” An

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opportunity to do things youth may not have done before the pandemic, proved to support
youths’ own skills, sense of competence, and independence.
Having spent a greater portion of the year supporting her sibling’s online learning,
Maddy said:
Welllll, I think it’s probably changed for the better, and now I can like, I know what to do
if my sibling is like not behaving as well, I would know how to help them better than
before. Uhm so it’s pretty ok for responsibilities it taught me more I guess yeah. I have
been helping a lot with siblings or like we have two dogs and three geckos, so I've been
helping a lot with them, all of that, I guess. And just like helping my parents do chores or
if they need help with something then I will be there I guess.
As youth learned to take on more responsibilities within their household, it offered them a sense
of competence and pride in their independence skills.
Parental Mental Health Strain
As the year went on, and youth transitioned through several different learning platforms,
social distancing measures shifted and changed, and parents navigated their new roles, their
mental health was strained. This was felt by feelings of overwhelm, changes in mood, increases
in irritability and frustration, and lower patience and tolerance. All the parents spoke about the
impact to their own well-being and mental health, often described as overwhelm, stress, burn out,
and helplessness. Tegan’s mom said:
It was really just sheer willpower, like just keep on the kids and just do it, just push
through and get it done, like we were all pretty crabby, pretty grouchy, it was not a
pleasant experience while we were going through it which was unfortunate, it just made it
unpleasant for us all.

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Parents noted the impact this had to their relationships, their family dynamics, and their role as
caregivers. Maddy’s dad explained:
Yeah, I think, like for parents as well, like at the start we tried so hard to do like lots of
activities with the kids and do everything, and as time goes on it wears out, you know,
you don’t do it as much. Kids don’t want to do as much, you don’t want to do as much,
whatever. You start to feel less inclined to do activities together... It’s been more stressful
for parents too, like myself and my wife, we feel more stressed as time goes on you feel,
it’s almost like a hopeless feeling.
As expected, mental health strain was experienced in parents as it was in youth after a year of
prolonged social distancing measures and adapted remote learning. Taking on too many roles
and responsibilities, with little support and resources for so long, left parents feeling
overwhelmed, exhausted, and, in some situations, hopeless.
Adaptive Systems & Processes
In attempts to uncover and understand the resilience that occurred during these
unprecedented times, youth’s ecologies and process-oriented contexts were explored (Masten,
2001). Understanding how and what supported youth well-being and learning during COVID-19,
drives my investigation of youth resilience, growth, and development during adversity, hence
school, family, and community were investigated. Interviews revealed themes relating to
supportive parents, connected teachers, and family school collaborations.
Parental Educational Support
All the youth and their parents identified a significant adjustment in roles as they adapted
to becoming educational supports to their children as they learned from home. This meant

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supporting them to adjust to remote learning through the implementation of routines and
monitoring and checking in on assigned assignments. Maddy’s dad said:
trying to monitor them a little bit during the day but then trying to make sure when I am
at home that we get some of the schoolwork handed in and done and figured out what we
are going to do for the next day.
He also described, “I think the responsibility is shifted a little bit and now parents, myself
included, are more responsible for my child’s education…I feel more of the weight than for
providing uhm guidance and assistance with the educational process.” Sam shared:
My mom has been helping me. Like she’s definitely been, I’m almost actually caught up
now because she’s kind of given me a goal for each day, including the weekends now, of
stuff that I have to get done and so she kind of in sense has become the new teacher.
Parents experienced the added pressure and responsibility of their children’s education as they
took on new educator roles supporting their children’s day to day learning.
Tegan explained the support her mother provided her during this time “Yeah my math
teacher gives us like a notebook full of the notes in the booklets she gave us and I ask my mom
for help.” Bella’s parents took a pivotal role keeping her on track she described, “With home it’s
the same. Mom, dad, trying to make sure I’m getting my work done, really focusing on seeing if
I’m ok. It’s been a lot of actually doing things together, which has helped a lot.” All of the
participants shared the ways parents supported their learning by monitoring, checking in,
clarifying concepts, and even co-working beside their children during this novel period. Parent’s
creativity and commitment to these new supportive educational roles helped youth adapt to the
changes and difficulties of emergency remote instruction.

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Routine. Parents were supporting youth to develop and implement daily routines and
structure, they offered organizational help, and academic guidance. Three of the four youth
identified their parents as helpful in supporting their new routines. Sam, who relied on his
educator mom’s expertise, described, “she’s very organized and she is kind of a voice of
authority I guess and so she really helps me when it comes to getting stuff done and staying on
track and organized.” Another youth, Tegan, described her mom’s routine help and the
importance of snacks sharing:
Well my mom, came up with a schedule for us, which it has been helping like a lot, like
we get up usually around 9:00-9:30 and then we get ready, we pack our school snacks,
just like before. So we can like keep on track, ‘cause when you’re at home you kind like
tend to eat more because there is more snacks and stuff that you can binge on.
Imposing structure and keeping familiar routines was helpful for youth’s motivation,
organization, and time management while remote learning.
Parental Educational Support Follow Up Interviews
One year later, youth continued to depend on the support of their caregivers in navigating
their unique learning contexts. Two of the youth reported that at least one of their parents was
their primary educational support. By way of routine and structure implementation, monitoring
assignments and due dates, and time management, parents continued to take on the role of
educators in their family. For example, Sam explained his mother’s support sharing, “Yeah, so
she kind of helped me do everything as far as organization at that time. Got me back on track.”
Managing assignments, due dates, and breaking large tasks down was difficult for youth to do on
their own while learning from home, thus parents played a critical role in supporting their
learning during this time.

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Teachers
Youth’s perceptions of their school relationships and views of belonging and
connectedness within the school environment play a vital role in well-being (Aldridge &
McChesney, 2018). In many instances youth spend more time with their teachers than they do
their parents and so, to no surprise, maintaining connected supportive relationships with them
was important during these times apart. During remote learning youth stayed in touch with their
teachers by way of video calls, virtual classrooms, and email messaging.
Connection & Engagement. For most of the youth, teacher connection and engagement
played an instrumental role in their well-being and resilience during these unique circumstances.
With physical distance between them and the familiarity of the classroom, youth were grateful to
have teachers connect with them virtually. This meant teachers going the extra mile to reach out
and check on students and coming up with unique and creative ways to make youth feel
connected and tethered to their schools. Bella reflected on the importance of teacher connection
sharing:
This year I’ve actually had pretty great teachers, there’s just been a couple incidents
where I haven’t been able to learn very well, but for the most part my teachers have been
super supportive and helpful reaching out to me during this. My gym teacher [soft laugh]
he’s my favorite teacher, he’s always texting me asking me how I am, through Teams. So
they reach out a lot, making sure we’re ok.
Bella’s mom elaborated on this connection and engagement as a motivator for her daughter
describing:

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She’s been very engaged with her teacher. Like I know she has been, she’s been on every
call, she goes into every presentation because she wants to stay connected with her
teacher and her teacher has been really good with using the online platforms.
Another youth, Tegan, was excited to share the creative approach to engaging students her
school took after not seeing each one and other for two months explaining, “Thursday last week
my school did a parade for the kids, like a teacher parade and that was [inaudible] it was super
fun.” Her mom added “Pretty much every day she’s in contact with somebody from school.” Out
of the box efforts were made by school staff not only to sustain curriculum delivery but also to
maintain a positive school culture and make youth feel connected to their schools while they
were away.
Sam’s mom, who was an educator herself, offered an interesting perspective and insight
into the importance of connection sharing:
The longer I am at it, the more I have come to realize that if you don’t have some sort of
relationship with a kid, nothing is, no kid walks away learning things or with positive
self-esteem which is as a drama teacher is one of my non hidden curricular outcomes.
Connection and engagement played an important role in maintaining youths’ sense of belonging
to their schools, classrooms, and teachers. Feeling connected and a part of something supported
youth in their motivation to learn and participate in their studies during this unique period.
Lack of Mental Health Support. While youth elaborated on the importance and value of
the efforts made by their teachers to connect and engage them throughout this time, a theme of
lack of mental health specific support emerged amongst three of the four parents. This included
not having teachers ask about mental health specifically, not having contact from clinical school

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staff, and not having adequate supports and resources during this time. Bella’s mom felt a
disconnect between the school specialized supports sharing:
One thing, like she doesn’t have a good relationship with the counsellor at the school, but
if she had of, you know, maybe the school counsellor could have been on Teams, you
know and reaching out to students that she already has connections with or just the
students in general. Because we haven’t had a lot of mental health resources sent to us
through the school.
She later expressed:
There’s such a lack of consistency between what schools are doing and teachers are doing
and families are doing that there’s such little direction. So the one thing that is consistent
is the conversation around mental health, so I think if the school division wants to do
anything in the name of consistency, then it should be around mental health.
Parents were frustrated with the inconsistency and lack of mental health support being offered to
them during a time of great need. It was unfortunate that relationships with clinical support staff
pre-pandemic were observed as being determinants for pandemic involvement, leaving many
youth unaccounted for and unsupported.
Tegan’s mom hadn’t received any contact, information or resources from the school
pertaining to mental health support. She said:
Maybe more resources directly from her school, like maybe the school counsellors should
check in, just the different teachers, the different staff should be checking in with the
kids. Because I can’t think of like, when you say resources, I can’t think of one for the
kids who are having a really hard time right now, like I think they are the most impacted
they have no control over anything, and I couldn’t think of like…yeah I couldn’t think of

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who can I call at the school division if she’s you know, feeling anxious just to help,
somebody for her to talk to outside of the house.
Feeling helpless and lost on how to support their children’s mental health, parents need educators
of all kinds to be connecting and considering mental health during this time as a priority.
Lack of Structure & Consistency. The immediacy, and unpredictability of the imposed
home learning mandates left educators and families trying to figure out emergency remote
learning with little to no guidance and direction. This meant learning looked differently from
everyone including sibling groups. Differences were seen in the platforms, schedules, learning
plans, and communication approaches. This lack of structure and consistency was felt and noted
by most of the parents who described feeling overwhelmed and confused by the differing
processes. Tegan’s mom said:
Like it would be nice if they could come up with like a standardized way of like…how
are we going to communicate, let’s all communicate in this way, right across the board
from like kindergarten to grade eight. Like they do with the report cards, like report cards
are all the same, something like that.
She later noted the many differences in delivery approaches sharing:
It’s really hard to find where it is, because every day she also meets somewhere different
and does something different it’s like ok today we are meeting in the math channel and
doing math, and tomorrow we are meeting in the teams channel and doing teams, and
next day we are meeting in the English channel and doing some English and so I’m
struggling to figure that out and to work with, like where is the file that I need. ok so do I
print this file, or what area do I go in, it just doesn’t seem as user friendly. So that just
gives you a little bit of a perspective I guess on the different ways that teachers are

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handling it, very different, yes and each one of those comes with their own unique
challenges.
Keeping up to the complex demands of remote learning was difficult for youth and their parents,
especially in the case of multiple sibling households and while teachers were left to their own
“devices” in implementing emergency remote learning, families longed for simplicity.
Bella’s mom discussed diversities and inconsistencies across families and schools
sharing:
These kids are all over the place because every family is different, like Bella said she has
kids in her class that have never even picked up their work from week one and I know,
she knows somebody too who has never done any work at all, and so families are all over
the place, like there’s such a lack of consistency between what schools are doing and
teachers are doing and families are doing that there’s such little direction.
Parents were desperate for some form of consistency and structure, as they supported their
children to navigate very confusing schedules, platforms, and learning experiences.
Lack of Feedback & Individual Support. Two of the parents also noted the lack of
feedback and individual support being offered to their children. Parents felt that direct virtual
contact with teachers was limited and so their children were unable to check in and clarify
concepts as they learned them. For example, Tegan’s mom said:
The way they do math and stuff I don’t know these new methods, so I can’t help her and
then she’s got to wait for the next meeting with the teacher which might be two days or
three days or just kind of whenever the teacher can schedule her in, there’s not enough
one on one time with the teacher, she falls behind.

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Maddy’s dad openly discussed his daughter’s teacher’s approach sharing, “It does lack induvial
instruction a little bit. Maddy can go to her for help if she needs, but she is reluctant to ask for
help. She’s finding that difficult especially now.” During a time of significant change and
difficulty, individual support and teacher feedback was greatly needed but limited. For those who
were afraid to ask for help or who worried about burdening their teacher’s during this stressful
demanding time, this was even harder and left them feeling unsupported and unprepared.
Teachers Follow Up Interviews
As the pandemic unfolded, youth experienced new and unique ways of learning and
engaging with their teachers through different periods of remote instruction. Connection and
engagement once again played a vital role in youth’s well-being and learning. This meant having
access to their teachers, feeling understood and accepted by their teachers, and having their
mental health acknowledged and prioritized. Interestingly, this sentiment was mirrored by youth,
who recognized the toll the pandemic had taken on their educators and their mental health, as
noted in the theme of teacher impact.
Connection & Engagement. Teacher connection and engagement once again emerged
as a theme in the follow-up interviews for all four youth. As the youth learned to navigate and
adapt to the difficulties of the last year, feeling supported and understood by their teachers was
important in facilitating their well-being and resilience. This was achieved through creative
approaches to connecting throughout the several periods of mandated social distancing measures
and remote learning, as well as through positive school environments, and understanding
relationships. For the youth, this also meant feeling having their mental health acknowledged and
considered so that they could feel safe being vulnerable about their struggles. For example, Bella
said:

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The teachers I feel like kind of notice and understood a bit more of what's happening to
the students ‘cause I've been getting feedback. And one of my teachers is my French
teacher, and he's so understanding that like I can just go to him and say like I'm having a
really hard day. And he'd be like, ‘ok, you know that's fine, like we're not gonna you
know put a lot of stress and weight on you today like I totally understand.’ And what he
does in his class is if something isn't for marks, but he still wants us to, you know, like
learn and understand he'll do it with us.
Adopting a trauma and mental health informed perspective was experienced as supportive and
helpful by youth, additionally parallel processes such as co working and setting realistic
expectations were appreciated noteworthy strategies. When youth feel understood and supported
by a trusted teacher they want to learn, even in the face of challenge and difficulty.
Youth noted the value of the creative approaches to engagement that were taken on by
their teachers and schools to keep them connected and engaged. Three of the youth highlighted
the effort that their teachers had made to adapt to their virtual platforms by making the learning
experiences interactive and engaging. This included using Teams channels, chats, supplementary
learning videos and resources, mental health resources, due date and assignment trackers,
expressive and creative assignments, and other unique virtual features.
Accessible. Two of the youth cited that they felt that their teachers had been very
accessible during the last year. Teachers made themselves accessible both virtually and in person
in order to support youth as the navigated learning during the pandemic. For some, this was a
matter of helping youth by staying after school or during lunch hour, others it was providing
additional support through video chats. Sam said:

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Honestly, it surprises me the amount that a lot of teachers respond back…Like I think the
support given by being able to respond is nice… sometimes like I'll send messages at like
seven o'clock at night. Sometimes teachers will respond, which is quite surprising to me.
Youth appreciated, but were surprised by, the teacher’s commitment and efforts to make
themselves available, as they went above and beyond their roles to help them in their learning.
Teacher Impact. Half of the youth and three of the parents spoke about the impact of the
pandemic on teachers, this included acknowledging that they were adapting and learning during
this time, that they were experiencing signs of burn out, and lacking guidance and support.
Youth empathetically related to teachers’ experiences of stress and adaption and felt that they
were not receiving adequate support and guidance, particularly during remote learning periods,
and that as the students adapted and adjusted so did the teachers. Sam explained, “I feel like on
both ends it was pretty hard, especially last year when we were doing 100% at home all online.
Yeah, I think everyone had to kinda adjust. Teachers, I feel like did a pretty good job.” Sam’s
mom provided a unique perspective as an educator on the toll that the last year had taken on her.
She explained:
I can’t wait for this year to be over. I need this year to be over. I’m tired, I'm sort of done
with it all. I will certainly, this summer, kick back in a, I thought last summer I was ready
for the break, I thought that with all of the things I was so looking forward to summer, I
am looking forward to it like tenfold this year. Just, it’s been a long year, it’s been a
difficult year.
Other parents offered their observations of the impact to their children’s teachers, Maddy’s mom
said:

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I think teachers are having their own struggles to be honest and it’s been probably more
difficult for them to support students because they probably have a lot of students that are
struggling and they’re struggling themself I'm pretty sure, you know, they have had to
adjust and figure out a way to teach differently and they haven’t been given very much
guidance in a lot of ways. There's no rule book on this either.
With little to no guidance and support, teachers were tasked with creatively adapting to
unfamiliar territory over the course of the year and their efforts and exhaustion did not go
unnoted by youth and their parents.
Family School Collaboration
Family school collaborations were explored in the interviews as a means of better
understanding the adaptive systems and processes which promote the process of resilience for
youth. Family school collaboration involves communication, coordination, and collaboration
between parents and teachers, regarding youth’s learning and school involvement. Participants’
understanding of family school collaboration processes was limited to communication between
parents and their teachers. There was variance amongst the participants regarding family-school
communication and collaboration during the initial interviews. While a majority of youth felt that
communication had increased between their parents and educators, there was reports of limited
or lack of communication.
Increased communication. Most of the youth felt that communication had actually
increased during the initial interviews. The increased communication was seen as positive,
promotive, and supportive to families enduring these changes and facilitating youth well-being.
Typically, communication took the form of telephone calls or email exchanges. Sam said:

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I would say, even though my mom is a teacher, she has been talking I think a lot more
about other things like that with some of my teachers. I think that is something that has
happened a lot more, I think that it kind of is helping me.
When asked if he found this helpful while emersed in emergency remote learning he shared:
I think at home I like it, I never really used to like it at school because it was almost
embarrassing to me to have her to talk to them but I think now because she is kind of
helping me it kind of gives me a sense of I don’t know someone’s with me through this
and that I can do it.
Although it can be awkward and embarrassing for youth to have their parents communicating
with their teachers, youth are able to put these feelings of discomfort for the benefits of them
coming together to support their learning and progress.
Bella was grateful for the communication and collaboration occurring between her
parents and school sharing, “It helps a lot because then I don’t have to be confused with other
teachers thinking different things or I’ve had different teachers contact each other about saying is
she getting her work done, how is she doing.” Bella’s mom said:
Her homeroom teacher emails us quite regularly, not as much as before, but regularly
enough, like now that we’ve kind of settled into a routine and then she has another
teacher that teaches math and science, and she emails us just kind of when she needs
to…We hear from the teachers more than we did before. Yeah, I mean a lot of it is like
direction on this is what we’re working on or whatever it may be. And at the beginning
there was like a lot of emails on what like this is what we’re doing now, this is how you
log into this.

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Increased communication with schools and teachers offering guidance was helpful for parents as
they took on new roles supporting their children’s education.
Maddy’s dad also spoke of the communication explaining:
Well all the teachers have provided like ongoing kind of emails and stuff like that since
the start which has been good because some correspondence how some things will look is
good. But I have advocated separately to each of their teachers and talk because I find
education very important, and I find that having some structural normalcy in the kid’s life
also to be support for their mental health and for their well-being and for the fall too it’s
going to help them. So, a number of ways that I think it will be helpful to keep up with
some schooling, so I have been an advocate and talked to each of their teachers about
ways to improve and, I also complemented them on the things they are doing well of
course.
Increased communication and collaboration was a process that was initiated by not only teachers,
but parents who emphasized the importance of advocating for their children’s learning and
mental health needs.
Lack of Communication. While all parents spoke to the diversity amongst individual
teacher’s approaches with regards to collaboration and communication, one parent in particular
spoke about the complete lack of contact during this difficult time of transition. Tegan’s mom
explained how she had not had any contact with her children’s teachers, and she expressed her
hope for increased contact stating, “It might be nice if the teachers could arrange that the parent
teacher conference that would be, impossible time wise for each teacher to be checking in with
the parents.” This parent’s wish was fueled by little hope, as she felt that teacher demands were
just too pressing for them to accommodate any modicum of collaboration or communication.

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Family School Collaboration Follow Up Interviews
Following up from the initial interviews, youth were once again asked about family
school collaboration over the course of the year. While three of the youth identified that having
communication and collaboration between their parents and schools had benefit, the same
amount of youth shared that there was limited or a complete lack of collaboration occurring
throughout the year. Parents' experiences offered a deeper understanding of these youth
observations and some unique perspectives on increased contact with teachers during this time.
Lack of Collaboration. Three of the youth shared that they felt that collaboration and
communication between their parents and teachers was limited. Some of the youth explained that
teachers only communicated with their parents if something was going wrong at school, or if
additional support was needed. For example, Maddy explained her dad’s advocacy despite the
lack of collaboration stating, “Well, I don't think they really talked too much, but I know my dad
knew that I was having a hard time and I think he might have tried to help a little like talk to my
teachers.” Collaboration and communication between schools and family based on reporting
difficulties and challenges limits the potential for recognizing and utilizing youth strengths in
promoting their academic success and well-being. Often privy to the challenges being
experienced by their children, but also their individual strengths and qualities, parents play a
fundamental role in their children’s learning by advocating for family school collaboration.
Helpful Collaboration Experiences. Three of the youth were able to reflect on positive
experiences they had had when collaboration took place between their parents and their
educators in the past. Collaboration resembled direct contact from the teachers to their parents
via email, phone call, or in person meetings. Typically, this was in relation to when youth
reported feeling intensified stressors or challenges. Youth highlighted the support and benefit

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that parent teacher collaboration offered in navigating these challenges and implementing
solutions. Sam, whose mom worked as a teacher in his school, said:
I think like, uhm, like my chemistry teacher, like last semester, I felt like it was more this
semester, but she would talk to him like he's got this due whatever, and even if it was
‘cause I really again, like I said, cram it all in one night. She'd tell my mom that it's due in
like let's say five days or something like that. Uhm, I’d have to work on it this night this
night this night. So then it wouldn't be as much cramming.
Involving parents in planning and structuring out of school routines can be helpful for youth’s
time management and organization.
All of the youth’s parents agreed that parent teacher collaboration was beneficial to their
children. For several of the parents, this looked like connecting with one and other about
assignments and due dates, particularly during online learning. For others, it was helpful to be
able to have a connection with their children’s teachers in order to feel as though they have a
connection with their children and their learning. Maddy’s dad shared:
I think it’s also when teachers touch base with you personally in an email, and make
themself, even if it’s just once during a term, just say, hey, I’m Maddy’s teacher, just
want to introduce myself and say hi and whatever. I really appreciate being able to
connect with a person…that makes a difference, it does, because when I don’t know and
I’m not able to talk with somebody, even via emailed very well, it’s really hard. I find
that I have emailed teachers here and there about various things, and that’s been helpful,
and they’ve been helpful too for the most part.
Simple efforts made by teachers to reach out and introduce themselves can strengthen working
relationships with parents and improve future interactions.

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Increased Collaboration & Communication. Contrary to the youth consensus that
parent teacher collaboration was limited over the course of the last year, three of the four parents
felt that collaboration had increased. From the parent’s perspective, they were receiving
appropriate and timely information, typically via email regarding the shifts to curriculum
delivery, upcoming deadlines, and updates on their children’s progress. For example, Bella’s
mom shared:
Lots of emails, like the teachers have emailed the parents with, you know, kind of
classroom updates, not as much as the younger ones, but I have heard from all of Bella’s
teachers at some point. Like as in an email to all the class, and then when we needed to
reach out to somebody, they were always quick to respond with help or clarity on
something, like, so they were good via email. And of course, the school itself has been
emailing lots about changes or whatever, there’s been no shortage of communication
that’s for sure.
This difference in perspective can be understood by the limited perceptions of family school
collaboration and virtual communication. While youth may not have been aware, their teachers
and parents were adapting to virtual communication and coming up with ways to support them in
times of change and difficulty.
It is important to note that one parent described that since the onset of the pandemic
collaboration and communication with the school and teachers had actually decreased. As she
experienced a sense of disconnection from the ongoings of her child’s learning, she explained:
There’s really no communication at all from the schools. Whereas, you know, if it was
normal circumstances, you could just call up, or you’d be going in, you’d be picking up
your kids and stuff like that, and there’s none of that.

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The pandemic brought on additional challenges with family school collaboration, making it
difficult for this parent to reach out and remain connected to their children’s learning during this
time.
Hope & Motivation
In understanding the function of hope and motivation in promoting youth resilience in the
face of adversity, participants were asked about what hope had meant to them and its importance
(Nelson, 2008; Walker et al., 2012). Youth understood hope as having an “optimistic mind,”
looking forward to something, and having faith and a positive attitude that things will get better.
For example, Maddy said:
Hope is like having a certain feeling that you'll, well, you're like you're looking forward
to something, but like you're really hopeful that something good will happen like you're
like you know that, well you don't know, but yeah. You think that it will be good and
you're hoping that it will.
Youth described the critical role of hope as a function of motivation and optimism during the
difficulty of the last year. Bella described the importance of hope during these unprecedented
times sharing:
Yes, very important! because I think I get this a lot from like my mom and my dad but
the idea that like if you don't have hope you're not helping the cause. Like if you don’t
have a positive outlook on something you're not contributing, you’re almost like a
bystander watching someone get beat up right? So you're not doing anything.
In the context of so many unknowns and adversities, hope served as a powerful resource for
maintaining and positive perspective and motivation for a positive future.

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Hope was essential to youths’ well-being and mental health, in spite of the obstacles and
uncertainty of the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Maddy’s dad advocated, “I think it affects
our overall health, our mental health, our physical health, our everything. It runs within the core
of our being…so I try to maintain as much hope as I can.” Hope is a positive motivational
construct that engages many parts of our being and experiences and having adult role models and
relationally encouraged hope can be useful for youth as they learn to harness their own hope.
Increased Motivation
Participants noted the influence of hope on motivation, the links to good outcomes, and
successful academic experiences. All the youth shared that at the time of their follow up
interview their motivation had increased in comparison to the onset of the pandemic. Youth
explored the role of goal directed energy and pathways such as hope as encouragers and
motivators to meet their goals. These included making plans for university, making plans to
safely spend time with friends, being in a work conducive learning space like the classroom with
supportive peers and teachers, making small achievable goals, and fun and exciting plans for the
future. Sam explained his method to success and motivation sharing:
I think like creating goals for myself, whether it's big or small, like, say, say with just
cleaning the house like just as an example feel like knowing that once I do this it'll look
good and look visually appealing. I feel like setting goals is probably something that was
fairly good for keeping me and like having me able to succeed a little bit.
Another youth Bella, emphasized the importance of classroom learning for her motivation
sharing:
But doing learning in person and being able to grow everyday really grew that motivation
because it's kind of like pushing me to do it because I have to instead of doing online

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where I'm kind of just sitting there like listening, it's just like blah blah blah blah blah. So
being able to go in and get ready for my day and going to school motivates me and makes
me almost like energized, I would say.
Motivated and propelled into actions by their own goal developments and pursuits, and goal
conducive environments, hope played a vital role in motivation and served as a powerful tool for
youth as the pandemic unfolded.
Hope & Optimism for the Future
In the unpredictable and uncontrollable circumstances that the youth experienced during
the first year of the pandemic, hope and optimism for the future offered meaningful anticipation
for a life sans social distancing measures, remote learning, pandemic related mandates, and the
stressors that resulted. As an internal resource, hope and optimism for the future was referenced
by all four of the youth as a hope of normalcy. With a national vaccination roll out on the horizon
and further innovation and evidence-based protocols to safety being adopted youth were
experiencing an elevation in hopefulness for the future. Spirituality, parental influence, and
perspective taking were also cited in promoting and adopting hope for the youth. For example,
Tegan said:
Umm you know, like a hope like this will go away eventually. And like with vaccines
coming out, that has given me a lot of hope that things will soon go back to normal
quicker…well outside of school, I think I would like things to be more like open in the
future being more safe. Everyone being like vaccinated. And you know, being able to see
friends.

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The anticipation of seeing friends and family, experiencing socially expected milestones and
family traditions the way they once did, returning to extra curriculars, and the familiarity of
learning in a classroom consumed youth with hope for the future.

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CHAPTER SIX: DISCUSSION
The purpose of my study was to understand how youth with learning and mental health
concerns in Manitoba were experiencing the COVID-19 health pandemic at two different time
periods while schools were significantly impacted by public health protocols. Furthermore, this
study sought to gain in-depth, multi-perspective descriptions of the complex adaptive systems
and processes within youth’s experiences, in order to more deeply understand and facilitate
resilience and positive development in the future. This final chapter will offer a discussion of the
research findings. Additionally, limitations of the study and implications for research, theory,
and practice will be explored.
Summary of Major Findings
Major findings from this thesis offer an in-depth investigation of the experiences of four
youth, by way of understanding their potentialities and protective factors in spite of the adverse
COVID-19 health pandemic. The five overarching case propositions described in the previous
chapter will be used to address the research questions at hand. Findings revealed challenges and
strengths associated with learning and mental health, alongside numerous promotive and
protective factors necessary to buffer against the adversities of the COVID-19 pandemic, which
will be further useful in supporting on going youth development and well-being. By way of
understanding resilience as a dynamic process that occurs within and across a youth’s interacting
systems, several supportive processes and adaptive capacities emerged such as family, school,
and hope (Egeland et al., 1993; Rutter, 2012; Wright & Masten, 2015). Exploring this invaluable
information qualitatively illuminated the rich and meaningful experiences of youth during
COVID-19. The findings complement existing research on youth mental health and extend our
understanding of this unique point in history.

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COVID-19 Learning
Youth’s experiences of learning were unique and unpredicted as they adapted to several
modes and approaches of remote and blended hybrid learning methods. As youth experienced
these shifts in learning their lives were disrupted and impacted across all domains of their
functioning. Already positioned in vulnerable stances as youth learners who are experiencing
increasing rates of mental health concerns and learning and behavioral difficulties, it is necessary
to understand the processes necessary to facilitate good mental health and well-being in the face
of unprecedented adversity.
During the initial data collection period, youth were submersed in the initial emergency
remote learning stage which was marked by unplanned approaches to delivery and learning of
curriculum. Youth, families, and teachers were all adapting to uncharted territory and thus, left to
their own discretion in order to pave this new pathway to education. All the youth in this study
expressed challenges associated with emergency remote learning and they all reflected on
missing elements related to their once familiar in person classrooms. Concerns related to school
challenges due to the interruptions of emergency remote instruction within the literature
highlighted disengagement, impacted motivation and time management, and increased academic
worries (Cohen et al., 2020; Ellis et al., 2020; Lessard & Puhl, 2021; Li et al., 2021; Save the
Children, 202; Scott et al., 2021). Offering a lived experience perspective, youth within my study
complemented this emerging literature as three major themes related to challenges arose, namely,
impacted focus and motivation, overwhelm, and difficulty asking for help.
These findings further expanded on the research of Adair-Gagnon (2020), Bates (2021),
and Thompson and Thompson (2021) who recognized the lack of adaptation and change to
teaching goals and methods, and the relearning necessary by educators to provide adequate

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online classrooms. Meant to provide a temporary substitution to learning during an emergency
such as the pandemic, emergency remote teaching in this case resulted in negative consequences
for youth. Furthermore, the implications of not being physically in school had a negative impact
on the youth in this study, from missing the social aspect with the peers and educators, to the
familiarity of their learning conducive environment, to the ease of connecting with a teacher for
clarity and assistance with academics.
From a Positive Youth Development and Relational Development Systems perspective,
the dynamic processes and bidirectional exchanges which operated for youth during these
unprecedented conditions revealed many strengths and potentialities (Benson et al., 2006;
Lerner, 2009; Overton, 2015). Remote learning resulted in positives and strengths for youth in
some instances such as being able to self-pace and incorporate flexibility into their schedules.
Not having the distractions of the classroom, or the expectation of the structured school day, and
teacher implemented task switching were also found to be helpful for some. The ability to exert
independence and autonomy in their day-to-day learning proved to be an important finding from
this study. This flexibility adhered to the individuality of the youth’s needs and well-being that is
often captured in the literature (Thomson, 2010). This is an important takeaway for educators
and policy developers when reimagining education, as we enter this stage of the ongoing
pandemic and work towards a post pandemic world. While the youth struggled with motivation
and focus, there were elements of self-directed learning that offered youth the opportunity to
make their own decisions about their day-to-day structure and learning. With adequate
management monitoring, assessment, collaboration, and evaluation, remote learning has the
potential to promote significant resilience and growth promotive factors for youth (Thomson,
2010).

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It is important to highlight that at the time of follow up interviews, two of the youth were
participating in the 50-50 learning model where students attended school in person every other
day and virtually on alternate dates, whereas the other two participated in the hybrid model of
synchronized learning allowing them to attend in person everyday while their peers participated
in 50-50 learning. Two overarching themes emerged for youth during the follow up interviews,
including rushed learning and new appreciation for in person learning. To no surprise, after
experiencing tremendous shifts in learning platforms and long-standing periods of remote
learning, youth emphasized the difficulty of learning online. While educators were able to
become more familiar with their online classrooms, delivery of curriculum virtually still made
learning challenging for the youth in this study. The inaccessibility of direct individual support,
the lack of structure and consistency in scheduling and curriculum delivery, the difficulty of
keeping up with the workload, and trying to understand and retain concepts was experienced by
youth.
The fast-paced nature of delivery resulted in loss of curriculum content amidst the
pandemic and created tremendous pressure and overwhelm for youth. Missing curriculum
content, feeling behind, and feeling ill prepared for the next year became themes which youth
described. Reflecting on the toll and difficulty of online learning, youth emphasized their new
appreciations for in person instruction and its role in increasing their motivation, feelings of
support, and gratitude. While schools transition back to in person learning, it is of importance
that long haul impacts of pandemic learning be explored, considered, and mitigated for future
success. To date, no qualitative research has emerged relating to emergency remote teaching
quality from the youth and parent perspectives, although 85% of Canadian teachers report
concerns with this period of education (CTF, 2020).

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My research emphasizes the role of schools as crucial ecologies in which youth are
embedded in in order to cultivate resilience and growth in spite of adversities and challenges.
Schools that recognize and adapt to youth’s developmental needs (autonomy, relatedness,
support) have been found to be related to increased achievement, motivations, behavior, and
emotions (Wang & Eccles, 2012). Regardless of platform, learning should be delivered in a
structured, planned, intentional, equitable, and meaningful manner, by which teaching goals,
methods, and engagement efforts are adapted to the needs of the students. Furthermore, these
findings are important for pedagogy and educational policy. As we continue to navigate the
ongoing pandemic and work towards recovery in a post COVID-19 world, education must be
reimagined holistically, incorporating, and prioritizing mental health and resilience at all levels
of learning. Equitable educational should be central to youth experiences, while recognizing
those most greatly impacted by the pandemic, educational supports and interventions need to be
intentionally offered to those with the greatest needs. My study highlighted these needs by
voicing the youth and parent experiences and concerns.
COVID-19 Mental Health
The developmentally prosperous period of adolescence is marked by transition, growth,
and vulnerability, during which time youth are more susceptible to a myriad of mental health
challenges and barriers to achieving optimal well-being (Collinshaw et al., 2010; Kessler et al.,
2005; Kieling et al., 2011; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2019).
Adolescents were positioned as some of the most vulnerable people during the initial periods of
the pandemic, as their day-to-day life infiltrated with disruptions (Chen et al., 2020; Duan et al.,
2020; Findlay & Arim, 2020; Racine et al., 2020; Xie et al., 2020; Zhou et al., 2020). Primarily
quantitative, initial pandemic findings revealed worsening mental health for youth justifying the

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inquiry of this study (Wiens et al., 2020). My study enriches and further contributes to the
literature by qualitatively exploring and describing the initial experiences of youth during the
pandemic.
Findings from my research complement international and Canadian studies which
highlighted the worsening mental health conditions, described by heightened anxiety, depression,
and stress symptoms in youth (Chen et al., 2020; Cost et al., 2021; Duan et al., 2020; Findlay &
Arim., 2020; De France et al., 2021; Tang et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2020). The adjustment to
emergency remote learning left youth feeling overwhelmed and anxious, as they navigated new
territory with little to no guidance or precedence. With all the time spent at home, many youth
were left with unoccupied time to overthink and worry about this new normal and what the
future held. This was coupled with a sense of depression and grief that parents saw in their
children during this time. As the ongoing pandemic continues to unfold, understanding youth’s
experiences of loss and grief should be further explored in future studies.
As the pandemic progressed and youth continued to experience turmoil and change, their
mental health continued to be negatively impacted. The year was marked by increased stress and
anxiety, feelings of sadness and depression, a sense of overwhelm, and school related worry.
Stress was typically connected to the challenges of online learning, social isolation, and change.
Worry surrounding their academics was seen through overthinking related to due dates,
understanding of concepts, retention, feelings of being behind, and ill preparedness for the
coming year. This prolonged exposure was marked by multiple shifts in learning platforms,
adapting to new roles, extreme social distancing and quarantine measures, and experiences of
heightened fear, worry, and uncertainty regarding the virus and the future.

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Arguably, one of the most captured mental health consequences in COVID-19 literature
has been that of social isolation, loneliness, and boredom (Angus Reid Institute, 2020; Mental
Health Commission of Canada, 2021; Vaillancourt et al., 2021). As the province experienced one
of the most strenuous social distancing mandates in the country, all the youth expressed a deep
longing for their friends and age expected milestones and events. The social isolation of not
being able to interact face to face with peers, friends, and extended family impacted youth
negatively through increased feelings of stress, sadness, isolation, and loneliness. Although
youth were creative in their approach to connecting virtually with friends, this increased their
screen time significantly and ultimately did not replace the face-to-face connection they longed
for. Increased screen time alongside the suspension of extracurricular activities contributed to the
youth’s worsening mental health.
Friendships and peer relationships play a critical role in youth development and wellbeing. Extracurriculars provide the opportunity for positive connected relationships that foster
and promote emotional well-being, academic successes, higher levels of satisfaction with life and
optimism, and lower levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms (Guilmette et al., 2019; Oberle
et al., 2020). Thus, the negative consequences of social isolation, such as heightened feelings of
depression and anxiety, pose significant risks to youth during this time (Loades et al., 2020;
Meade, 2021). Relationships were recognized as important in supporting good mental health and
navigating difficult times by the youth. As a protective factor in the face of adversity, social
support functions as a promotor of resilience for youth (Afifi & MacMillan, 2011; Ioannidis et
al., 2020). My findings contribute to the field of resilience and the role of friendship support in
times of change and stress (Masten & Monn, 2015; Wang & Eccles, 2012). Mental health
improvements were accredited to youth’s own personal development and learned coping, school

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strategies, loosening of social distancing measures and quarantine restrictions, and the return to
their expected normal of day-to-day social conditions.
Interpersonal Competencies
Following a Positive Youth Development framework, I understand youth as major actors
in their own development and as significant resources in enabling positive development and
well-being, by investigating their unique personal attributes and resources. (Benson et al., 2006,
p. 896). Previous research has emphasized the critical role of individual adaptive factors such as
problem-solving skills, effective behavioral and emotional self-regulation, a sense of selfefficacy and mastery motivation for positive goals, and belief that life has meaning in promoting
youth resilience (Bonanno, 2004; Masten & Cicchetti, 2016; Masten & Reed, 2002).
My study supported the literature surrounding the role of individual factors such as
youth’s awareness and utilization of their own personal cognitive, emotion regulation, and social
skills. Youth’s familiarity of available coping strategies such as breathing, music, and distraction
techniques was apparent immediately. At the point of follow up, it was evident that youth had
become more aware of their own personal attributes and strengths to survive the tremendous
change and adversity experienced that year. The conditions of the pandemic offered a space for
youth to manifest their potentialities and recognize their capacity for growth within such
unprecedented and challenging times (Damon, 2004). Youth’s newfound independence,
strengthened determination, and perseverance were all noted as important factors and resources
in promoting their well-being and resilience that should be drawn upon when seeking to support
youth in navigating life hurdles.
From a Relational Developmental Systems (Bronfenbrenner, 1979; Lerner et al., 2011;
Overton, 2015) and Social Ecological Resilience framework (Ungar, 2012), youth well-being

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and resilience is best understood from the dynamic interactions and processes that occur a
multiple levels and systems in response to adversity. In response to the pandemic, it is critical
that youth capacities and resources be conceptualized within the systems of care in which they
are embedded and nurtured, whether this be their family system, schools, or other social support
systems. These systems and processes are crucial to influencing individual psychological wellbeing and facilitating the restoration of hope, agency, and pathways for resilience to emerge
(Masten & Motti-Stefanidi, 2020; Ungar, 2012).
Adaptive Systems and Processes
As described by Benson et al. (2006), a positive developmental trajectory “occurs in the
fusion of an active, engaged, and competent person with receptive, supportive, and nurturing
ecologies” (p. 905). This is further enabled when youth have the opportunity to participate in
multiple, nutrient rich relationships, contexts, and ecologies such as family and school. As viable
and critical delivery systems for positive youth development, family and school have been points
of inquiry for my research. Investigating and promoting development and well-being from a
comprehensive, multi-level perspective requires the uncovering of the role of adaptive processes
and valued resources when youth are experiencing adversity. Understanding these ecologies and
process-oriented contexts supports my investigation of youth resilience, growth, and
development during adversity, hence the investigation of family and school in this study.
Family Dynamics
Understanding youth potentialities and development by way of emphasizing the
relationships, circumstances, and ecologies they are embedded in, provides a context for the
necessary role of “effective families” in fostering resilience and promoting good mental health
(Benson et al., 2006; Masten, 2014a). The findings of this study enriched the emerging COVID-

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19 literature on the role of positive parenting and good family functioning as buffers for
adversity and primers for positive youth development. Provincially imposed social distancing
measures and remote learning revealed an increase in family closeness through connecting time,
sibling closeness, and creative approaches drawing out the dynamic process that youth and
families mobilized within their family systems to navigate the adversity of the pandemic. These
findings added rich depth to the findings of Pozzoli et al. (2022) and Tang et al. (2021) who
revealed positive home climates and open communication between children and parents as
important mediating factors of COVID-19 and difficulties in remote learning.
These times of transition also led to increased tensions and moments of challenge as
family members adopted new roles, spent more time together, and parents adopted new foreign
roles as educators. The pressure to assume responsibilities for which they did not feel prepared or
equipped lent to negative mental health impacts for parents. The immediacy and unpredictability
of the imposed home learning mandates left families trying to figure out emergency remote
learning with little to no guidance and direction. A lack of structure and consistency was felt and
noted by most of the parents as they adopted educational roles in supporting youth to develop
and implement daily routines and structure and offered organizational help and academic
guidance.
Teachers
In responding to the need to reduce the long-term impact of the global pandemic, youth
mental health experiences and resilience must be understood within the context of mutually
interactive contexts. Schools as an ecology offer a myriad of interactions that promote youth
development and protective factors (Wang & Eccles, 2012). Contributing to the pre-pandemic
findings of Aldridge and McChesney (2018) and McPherson et al. (2014), youth in this research

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highlighted the critical role of connected teachers and positive views of belonging and
connectedness with educators and school during the pandemic. Relationships and simple
interactions with teachers offer opportunities for personal growth amidst challenging and adverse
circumstances and thus, play a critical role in promoting positive mental health and academic
success (Chiu, 2021; Miller, 2021). Within the context of online learning, teacher-student
relationships offer a buffer against negative mental health outcomes and thus, fostering
relationships with youth through creative and meaningful methods are critical strategies to
promoting well-being (Pozzoli et al., 2022, Miller, 2021, Wright & Wachs, 2022).
As the youth learned to navigate and adapt to the difficulties of the last year, feeling
supported and understood by their teachers was important in facilitating their well-being and
resilience. During these times of change and stress, this meant feeling understood by them and
having their mental health acknowledged and considered. Youth noted the creative efforts of
educators and schools during the extended periods of mandated social distancing measures and
remote learning, as they attempted to create positive school environments and understanding
relationships. Prioritizing mental health was a great take away during these challenging times for
the youth. Noting the value of recognizing and considering their own mental health and wellbeing and also their families and teachers. Youth noted that simple efforts, such as checking in
on students’ well-being, asking how students were doing, and inquiring beyond their academic
progress, went a long way.
The impacts of the pandemic were not exclusive to youth and families, as teacher impact
was greatly acknowledged by participants. As educators were adapting and learning during this
time, signs of burn out and distress were noted by the participants of this study. As an educator
herself, the one parent offered a unique perspective into the difficulties of teaching during this

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time, a perspective which would merit further investigation for future research. The unusual
circumstances of COVID-19 and emergency response measures revealed schools’ ill
preparedness for disasters such as this one. In order to ensure youth resilience and positive
development, the system in which they are embedded in must be strengthened and equipped to
meet and respond to the changing needs of youth within contexts such as the ongoing COVID-19
health pandemic and other expected and unexpected adverse circumstances (Masten, 2020).
Family School Collaboration
Growing evidence positions family school collaborations as central to youth academic
and social emotional development and well-being (de Bruïne et al., 2014). Categorized by trust,
mutual respect, and open communication, family school collaborations are essential to good
teaching and youth resilience (Griffiths et al., 2020). While the positive outcomes of family
school collaborations are evident in the literature, few educators receive training regarding the
influence of family factors on student outcomes and how to facilitate collaboration with families
(McLaughlin & Clarke’s, 2010; Stormshak et al., 2016). In order for youth to do well and
persevere in the face of adversity, schools, teachers, and families need to be nurtured and
restored.
Findings of my study revealed a variety of experiences of collaboration and
communication between family and school during the pandemic. Increased communication was
seen as positive, promotive, and supportive to families during times of transition. While the
youth and parents acknowledged, and even in some instances wished for more of it, collaboration
was inconsistent and limited, and in some instances nonexistent during the pandemic. Pre
pandemic research captured educators’ reluctance to adopt family school collaboration
interventions due to already overwhelming and unmanageable daily workload demands

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(Stormshak et al., 2016). Thus, the lack of family school collaboration during the pandemic can
be understood from the context of these findings related to ill preparedness and teacher burn out
during the pandemic.
Family school collaboration should be centered around shared goals, responsibilities,
understandings, and decision making and not simply only when something has gone wrong or an
area of concern arises for youth (Griffiths et al., 2020). Within the context of remote learning, the
pandemic, and any future adapted learning conditions, it is critical that teachers be supported and
trained in applying ecological approaches which promote collaborative strategies between youth
systems of care. Supporting students through this pandemic means working together, individual
action alone will not be enough.
Hope
The concept of hope was central to this research as a means of understanding youth wellbeing and resilience amidst adversity. Highlighted in the literature for its role in positive
adaption and as a protective mechanism against stressors hope has been connected with positive
social interactions, self-esteem, optimism, and academic achievement (Snyder et al., 1991;
Snyder et al., 1997). The relationship between hope and youth well-being and academic
achievement has been demonstrated in the literature (Ciarrochi et al., 2007; Marques et al., 2017;
Pedrotti et al., 2008). As a cognitive-motivational construct best understood through goals,
pathways, and agency, hope has traditionally been linked to the ability to uphold a positive and
hopeful attitude amidst adversity (Nelson, 2008; Snyder et al., 1997; Walker et al., 2012). Hope
described by youth as an “optimistic mind,” looking forward to something, and having faith and
a positive attitude that things will get better, was critical to youth’s experiences in this study,
further contributing to the growing hope literature.

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Reflecting on the many challenges and obstacles of the pandemic and negative impact to
their mental health and well-being, youth emphasized the relationship between hope and
motivation and their role in positive outcomes and successes in their experiences academically.
While they shared that at the time of their follow up interview their motivation had increased in
comparison to the onset of the pandemic, periods of worsening mental health conditions were
marked by hopelessness. The longevity of stringent social distancing measures and remote
learning, the uncertainty associated with what the future held, and the resumption of “normalcy”
was a factor in the loss of hope for the youth and their parents throughout the year. Linked in the
literature to depression and suicidality, academic and generalized anxiety, and higher levels of
depressive symptoms it is critical that hope infused practices be incorporated into the systems of
care which support youth (Beck et al., 1975; Onwuegbuzie, 1998; Rosellini & Bagge, 2014;
Snyder et al., 1998; Visser et al., 2013).
In the unpredictable and uncontrollable circumstances that the youth were exposed to
during the pandemic, hope and optimism for the future offered meaningful anticipation for a life
sans social distancing measures, remote learning, pandemic related mandates and the stressors
that resulted. As an internal resource, hope and optimism for the future was referenced by all
four of the youth as a hope for normalcy. With a national vaccination roll out on the horizon,
further innovation, and evidence-based protocols to safety being adopted, youth were
experiencing an elevation in hopefulness for the future. Spirituality, parental influence, and
perspective taking were also cited in promoting and adopting hope for the youth. The youth’s
expected normal of seeing friends and family, experiencing milestones and family traditions the
way they once did, returning to extra curriculars, and the familiarity of learning in a classroom
encouraged the idea of a positive hopeful future.

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Youth explored the role of goal directed energy and pathways and plans to meeting goals
as encouragers and motivators. These included making plans for university, making plans to
safely spend time with friends, being in a work conducive learning space like the classroom with
supportive peers and teachers, making small achievable goals, and making fun and exciting plans
for the future. Hope for the future and a sense of life as they once knew it was often role modeled
by their parents. These findings contribute to a better understanding of youth’s contextual
experiences of hope and resilience, and they support the literature surrounding parental roles in
teaching hope (Snyder et al., 1997).
Limitations
Findings from this study must be viewed and considered within the context of their
limitations. As with most qualitative case study designs, limitations of this study are related to
generalization. Contextually bound by the limits and boundaries of the case, the findings from
this study are not meant to be generalized beyond the contextualized experiences of the
participants (Creswell & Plano, 2011; Yin, 2003). The results of this research are reflective of
the experiences of four youth from one single community in Manitoba during a very specific
time period of the pandemic. While the youth depict four unique experiences, the findings of this
small, purposive sample size are not assumed to reflect all youth experiences during COVID 19.
Therefore, findings must be understood, interpreted, and applied within the context of the
literature, theoretical frameworks, and stage of the pandemic.
The current research is embedded within a larger project thus, participants in my study
were already pre-selected. While all follow up interviews were conducted by me, only a portion
of the initial interviews were done by me, while the remainder were completed by the principal
researcher from the larger project. While all the interviews were directed by the interview guide,

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the flexibility and flow of the interview depended on the reciprocity between the interviewer and
the participant. This creates opportunities for differences between interviewer styles, points of
inquiry, and follow up. Additionally, I was more familiar with the interviews that I conducted
myself, positioning me closer to the data on some interviews and further on others.
It is also important to note that regardless of diverse backgrounds all the youth had at
least one parent who was university educated. I would be curious to further explore the
implications of the pandemic for those socially and economically disadvantaged, as a means of
better understanding the emerging research surrounding social economic disparity and the
pandemic’s impact. This is an area that is noteworthy of future research investigation.
A semi-longitudinal approach was employed interviewing participants at two different
time points in the pandemic one year apart in order to explore the progression and impact of the
phenomena at hand. The time intervals of the research must be considered when understanding
the results and conclusions. Given the unpredictability of the pandemic, it is important the future
research explore further understand the developments and experiences of youth.
Morrow (2005) describes that “all research is subject to research bias” (p. 254). While I
employed a reflexive process throughout the research process requiring ongoing scholarly
reflexivity, it is important to acknowledge the potential for personal bias throughout the study.
My role as a researcher, a counsellor, and a graduate student, also navigating and experiencing
the nuances of learning during the global pandemic, may have contributed to biases at all stages
of the research.
Implications for Theory and Research
The participants in this study illuminated a range of learning and mental health
experiences and consequences of the pandemic which are consistent with the emerging COVID-

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19 research. The negative consequences of COVID-19 have raised the question of how to
support youth resilience and implications for future scholarly investigation. Situated within
process orientated frameworks such as Positive Youth Development and resilience frameworks,
this study posits that the contextual systems which youth are embedded in serve as mobilizers
and crucial factors in youth well-being and recovery during the pandemic. As this study has,
conceptualizing youth from the belief that they have the inherent capacity for positive growth
and development, instead of a “risk reduction” deficit approach is necessary to supporting youth
resilience (Benson et al., 2006). Noteworthy of future research, this adoption of developmental
and ecological theories uncovers the potentialities and necessary protective and promotive
factors in order for youth thrive and develop.
While the emerging COVID-19 research has been grounded in a deficit perspective of
risk factors and consequences, fewer studies have offered understanding into the opportunities
for healthy development through a strengths-based perspective as this one has (Lerner et al.,
2013). Lerner (2005) offered that the “optimistic and proactive search for characteristics of
individuals and of their ecologies that, together, can be arrayed to promote positive human
development across life” (p. 19). This study contributes to the growing field of study of how
youth persevered and even thrived within the context of unprecedented adversity, through the
investigation of their unique personal attributes and resources.
Masten (2020) calls on researchers to adopt a systemic understanding of resilience within
the context of disaster and adversity research, noting the multisystemic nature of disastrous
events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. This present study exemplified just that, while youth
described a multitude of impacts within different areas of their lives, they also noted the
importance of the bi-directional interactions between their systems of care. Youth emphasized

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the importance of schools and educators engaging in proactive interventions such as family
school collaboration and mental health informed practices in order to promote positive outcomes.
From a developmental and ecological theoretical perspective, it is advantageous to continue to
investigate the factors and conditions which foster and mobilize youth well-being and recovery.
Exploring the ecologies in which youth are embedded that nurture their development offers
insight into the potentialities of youth development and thus, it is critical that those systems be
understood and supported (Findlay & Arim, 2020). Further in-depth research into experiences of
youth supportive systems such as educators, schools, and caregivers would provide more
information about (a) how these systems are impacted by adversity and (b) how to best promote
and strengthen these key adaptive systems and processes.
The exposure of worsening mental health experiences from this study contributes to the
sparse cross-sectional findings, demonstrating the impact of the pandemic on the mental health
of neurodivergent learners (Asbury et al., 2020; Asbury & Toseeb, 2023; Banerjee et al., 2020;
Nonweiler et al., 2020). Current research that captures multiple perspectives on youth mental
health in educational contexts is lacking. Thus, my study highlighting the experiences of youth
who self-identify as having co-occurring learning and mental health difficulties contributes to the
literature.
Limited to primarily adult studies, the construct of hope plays a valuable resource for
youth as they continue to navigate the impacts of the pandemic and promotion of well-being.
This research extends and deepens the understanding of hope in developing adolescents and
children. Additionally, it responds to the recommendations of researchers such as Valle et al.
(2006) who have called for further studies to explore the interaction between hope and different
life experiences in order to fully understand hope as a psychological strength. My study responds

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to Jiang and colleague’s (2018) call for action to further investigate hope’s role in specific
adolescent populations such as those with co-occurring mental health and learning challenges.
For those with learning disabilities, notions of hope are found to be significantly less than their
peers, positioning them as ideal candidates of hope infused supports and resources in order to
promote positive development (Al-Yagon & Margalit, 2018; Sharabi & Margarlit, 2014).
Methodologically my study used a qualitative, multi-informant and semi longitudinal
research design in order to amplify the voices of youth as they navigated adversity. The findings
from this research address the gap in COVID-19 literature which has primarily been executed
through a psychiatric and clinical lens, by means of retrospective recall approaches, nonrepresentative samples, snowball sampling techniques and quantitative measures such as online
questionnaires or symptom scales (Vaillancourt et al., 2021). While international and national
longitudinal studies suggested a worsening of mental health in relation to the pandemic, more
research was and is needed to understand the complexity of the pandemic on youth experiences
of well-being and resilience.
The employed research design of my study is extremely valuable to understanding how
the pandemic truly impacted youth from an in-depth perspective. Capturing not only the youth
perspective, but that of their parents, at two different time points, offered insight into the youth’s
lives and the many systems and adaptive capacities within their ecologies, relationships with
caregivers, families, educators, helpers, and friends. It highlighted the resources and capacities
necessary to supporting resilience in a post pandemic world, many of which centered around the
powerful adaptive systems such agency or mastery motivation, self-efficacy, active coping, hope
and optimism, and connection. The multi-informant nature of my study contributes to our
understanding of youth resilience and positive youth development, by way of conceptualizing

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processes and capacities from a multidimensional form of inquiry and understanding of
constructs. The findings from this study extend beyond that of quantifiable data and contribute to
our understanding of how youth adapted within the unusual circumstances of COVID-19. This
further supports our understanding of how individual bidirectional context relations can be
promoted and supported in order to enhance positive development. Further research needs to
focus on the ways to bolster key processes that foster positive multisystem cascades of resilience
for youth in the face of adversity (Masten & Motti-Stefanidi, 2020).
Lastly, although the phenomenon of focus for this study was experiences for youth with
both learning and mental health concerns during COVID-19, inevitably the interviews revealed
findings related to the tremendous impact of caregivers and educators. I recommend that future
research should be conducted with this population to better understand the complex adaptive
systems and processes that engage networks of systems at multiple levels to facilitate youth
resilience and positive development.
Implications for Practice
The present research findings have implications for counseling and educational
psychology, and provide valuable information for counsellors, educators, families, and
community service providers. The case propositions of this study reveal themes and resilience
factors that are important to mobilizing and restoring youth development and well-being at this
point in the ongoing pandemic. Emphasis on youth potentialities and strengths within applied
practices will be critical to promoting positive outcomes in order to address an emerging mental
health crisis and uncharted territories (Damon, 2004). The rich detailed accounts of the youth in
this study revealed ordinary human adaptive process necessary to cultivating day to day
opportunities for growth (Masten, 2001). Furthermore, the findings support the incorporation of

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resilience and ecologically informed practices to enable youth well-being and positive
development.
Educators and counsellors should borrow from a Positive Youth Development
understanding of youth potential and assets, in order to cultivate individual strengths and
capacities within the context of school (Benson et al., 2006). It is critical that the unique social,
emotional, educational, and mental health of youth needs be addressed in safe and supportive
learning environments where youth feel a sense of belonging and connection. While the
likelihood of future emergency remote learning remains unknown, it is essential that schools put
into place policies and plans in order to ensure continuous high-quality learning in the face of the
unpredictable. Educational interventions should be centered around not only diverse learning and
inclusive curriculum delivery, but also effective communication and engagement strategies with
caregivers, and interaction between students, their teachers, and their peers, in order to support
student well-being and maintain strong school belonginess and relationships and school wide
mental health response plans.
Recovery from the pandemic will require educational systems to reimagine learning by
incorporating and prioritizing youth well-being and mental health from a social ecological
perspective as essential to development and challenging the systems that contribute to the
marginalization and oppression of those disproportionately impacted. This includes groups
marginalized based on Indigeneity, racial and cultural identity, linguistic diversity, religion,
place of birth, socio-economic status, ability, age, sex, gender and sexual orientation (Jenkins et
al., 2021). The findings of my study contribute to the necessary spotlight on the role of the
pandemic on existing inequalities and disproportionately affected people and communities, but

196
further research is necessary to illuminate the experiences of those who are generally
underrepresented.
Abimbola et al.’s (2021) call to address power asymmetries permeating through all
aspects of global health including education, emphasizes the necessary action that must be taken
to prioritize equitable education and mental health. The ongoing marginalization and
vulnerability associated with systemic inequities should be recognized and challenged to ensure
organizational commitments to change and equity for youth learners. The findings of my study
may further serve as a call to address persisting settler colonial education policies and practices
that continue to shape youth’s educational and developmental experiences disproportionately
(Dei et al., 2022; Pratt et al., 2018). Research and practice must be centered on understanding
and prioritizing the needs of those that have been systematically and structurally marginalized
and oppressed such as Indigenous, Black, and other people of color (BIPOC), migrants and
refugees, women and girls, ethnic minorities, disabled people with disabilities, neurodivergent
learners, and Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning or Intersex
(2SLGBTQI+) people. Engaging these youth voices and what’s valued and culturally relevant is
essential to reimagining and rebuilding during this period of the ongoing pandemic.
Youth well-being and resilience does not occur within a vacuum. It is critical that efforts
to promote positive development for youth be understood from a person-process-context
perspective, in which healthy youth develop in healthy systems of care, thus, mental health and
well-being must be incorporated into all aspects of youth’s lives. Front-line workers and
educators play a critical role in supporting good mental health. As we enter this stage of the
ongoing pandemic, educators must be supported to incorporate ecologically, trauma informed,
mental health responsive approaches through effective strategies within the classroom. The

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literature supports the enhancement of teacher training in mental health literacy in helping
decrease negative outcomes associated with undiagnosed and untreated mental health disorders
among young people (Carr et al., 2018).
Policies, interventions, and strategies should be centered on promoting positive mental
health and well-being for all youth, not only those who display signs of deterioration or
diagnosis. Additionally, youth voices need to be at the center of these efforts in order to reflect
their unique and diverse needs. Youth thrive when they feel understood, supported, and
connected in their relationships. This calls on counsellors, educators, and other adult supporters
to ensure the prioritization of youth’s basic, social, emotional, and mental health needs through
connected, meaningful relationships. The results of this study can be used to inform and develop
enhanced educational interventions and counselling practices for youth and their families, within
the context of an ecological model of resilience that strives to reduce inequalities and promote
well-being for all youth.
While the evidence is clear about the association between emotional health and learning,
schools and educators continue to struggle to understand youth from the perspective of whole
beings (Darney et al., 2013; Kremer et al., 2016; Montreuil, 2016). My research brought to light
youth’s desire and need to have their mental health prioritized and valued. Youth want their
teachers, families, and supports to check in with them outside of inquiring about their
schoolwork, they want to be seen and understood as individuals and not just students.
Youth systems of care, such as school and mental health services, should consider the
contextual and relational processes that interact across multiple levels of influence for youth to
promote resiliency. This includes going beyond only an individual-level focus and understanding
youth as they are embedded in multisystem cascades of resilience which also need to be

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bolstered. The findings of this study underscore the position that family is important in the
process of youth learning and mental health. Thus, educators and counsellors should engage in
meaningful interactions and collaboration with families to effectively progress towards positive
youth learning and development. Traditionally, educators have felt ill equipped and unprepared
to support the mental health and emotional needs of their studies (Neil & Smith, 2017; Whitley
& Gooderham, 2016). Educators and counsellors must be trained and equipped with ecologically
informed approaches which engage families and other systems of care, in order to facilitate well
being for youth.
Integrating family-school collaboration with existing multi-tiered strategies of curriculum
and teaching has been found to be most promising (Stormshak et al., 2016). While training and
education contributes to this adoption, policies and institutions must facilitate and support the
incorporation of these methods. The structural barriers that contribute to teacher burn out,
parental overwhelm, and counsellor fatigue must be understood and challenged, and resources
must be implemented to ensure these resilience promoting interventions.
In the face of unpredictable and uncontrollable circumstances, hope serves as a valuable
resource and predictor of positive mental health and well-being (Barnum et al., 1998; Edwards et
al., 2007; Esteves et al., 2013; Mahat & Scoloveno, 2001; Peterson & Seligman, 2004; Snyder et
al., 1991). Families, educators, and counsellors are in the best position to infuse hope-based
interventions with youth. Evidence supports the enriching role of hope-based psychotherapy
interventions (Cheavens et al., 2006). As youth attempt to recover from the consequences of
COVID-19, it is important that this positive internal resource be fostered and utilized.
Schools should infuse hope by way of empirically supported, tiered strategies within
educational contexts by way of focused interventions, programs, and frameworks centered

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around setting goals and identifying pathways in the face of adversity. Furthermore, hope should
be applied beyond the individual-level of focus, in order to engage youth’s multiple systems of
influence. This can be done through the incorporation of Snyder et al.’s goals and pathways
focused model (Marques & Lopez, 2014); counsellors and educators are in an optimal position to
do so by way of encouraging hope enhancing skills and strategies and promoting hope infused
contextual conditions by way of language, attitude, and mindsets with not only the youth
themselves, but their families and caregivers (Levi et al., 2013; Margalit, 2010; Phan, 2013).
Researcher Experiences
Through this research process I was challenged as a researcher, a student, a counsellor,
and a witness to an unprecedented global pandemic. I leaned on the reflexive process in
navigating the tensions that arose while I transitioned from my role as a counsellor to a
researcher when interviewing the youth. While hearing the experiences of the youth and the
tremendous toll and difficulty they were enduring, I experienced the tensions of wanting to offer
support, therapeutic guidance, and intervention. While I resisted succumbing to this role that felt
so natural to me, I drew on my counselling skills to enhance my interview skills such as
empathetic listening, structuring, and open-ended inquiry. While I embodied the position of a
researcher, it may be that the interview process still served as therapeutic for the youth, in
allowing them to process and express their experiences in a time of significant isolation.
As a graduate student completing my thesis which was centered on the experiences of
youth learning and mental health during the global pandemic, I must acknowledge the obvious. I
too was being impacted during a global pandemic which resulted in consequences to my learning
and mental health. As the pandemic and social distancing measures changed, I had to pivot my
own approach to my study in order to ensure research resilience grounded in ethical and

200
adaptable approaches in this unprecedented crisis (Suadik, 2022). This was done so by shifting
from face-to face interviews to virtual interviews which allowed me to relate to the youth’s
screen fatigue, exhaustion, and their hopes and wishes for some semblance of normalcy.
The nature of qualitative, semi-longitudinal research can be time consuming and taxing.
But it was in the process that I became aware of the magic and value of qualitative research. I
was struck by the importance of capturing youth’s voices to highlight the depth of their
experiences in order to truly facilitate authentic, worthwhile change and growth. Like the youth,
my own motivation was often challenged, and it was their stories and experiences that continued
to echo through the interview, transcription, and analysis process that facilitated a pathway for
my own hope and optimism. My role as a counsellor guides my research interests and values and
my commitment to understanding and promoting youth development and resilience. I have
learned how my passion for research and applied practice can come together and complement
one and other through this work.
Conclusion
This in-depth study of the mental health and well-being of youth in Manitoba during the
global COVID-19 pandemic revealed participants’ experiences and major themes. The
knowledge gained from this study uncovers the role of contextual influences and multi-level
resources when youth are faced with adversity, serving as a way of understanding resilience as a
dynamic process that occurs within and across a youth’s interacting systems as we enter this
phase of the ongoing pandemic. The multi-informant stories illustrated that while youth have
been significantly impacted by pandemic related restrictions and responses, they have also
developed richer understandings of their needs, capacities, and resources across their ecologies
and process-oriented contexts.

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As the pandemic continues to unfold, research must be centered on further understanding
how to bolster and promote the key adaptive systems that foster youth resilience. The findings of
this study highlight the many systems and adaptive capacities within the youth, in relationships
with caregivers, families, educators, helpers, and friends, and in resources and capacities in order
to support resilience. While adversity in this study was conceptualized as the COVID-19 global
health pandemic and its multisystemic challenges, the findings and lessons surrounding the
ordinary human adaptive process of resilience should continue to be prioritized as a means of
supporting positive youth development and well-being even outside the COVID-19 context
(Masten, 2001). Resilience is the ordinary magic which occurs within the influential
relationships between youth and their multiple levels of context, and so the responsibility lies
with us to uncover and cultivate the ordinary in the unordinary.

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Appendix A
Recruitment Poster

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Appendix B
Youth Interview Guide
Purpose of the interview – Youth will be asked to describe their daily experiences related to
learning and mental health concerns. The youth will be prompted to describe the impact of
learning difficulties and emotional challenges on their daily life and to speculate about the
relation between learning and mental health concerns and supportive influences.
Review Demographic Questions:
1. Age? Grade? School Division? Any diagnoses? Any inclusive education services? Any
mental health service?
2. Use these specific prompts: Gender, age, grade, racial/ethnic identity.
3. Location, school division.
4. Identified specific learning disability, learning support services.
5. Identified mental health concerns, counselling support services.
6. Living situation (two parent home, single parent home, split custody, etc. and siblings).
Interview Questions:
•

Here is a summary of your interview from last year (interviewer will read the bullet
points) and maybe share the screen. Interview summary will have been emailed too.
o After hearing and reading your summary, what stands out for you? What has been
the same for you over the past year, and what has changed?

•

Overall, how do you think you were impacted by the change in school (closures and
change to emergency remote instruction) from last year?

•

How are you doing in school this year? What do you notice about what works well for
and what is challenging for you related to learning?

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•

Are there different learning or mental health issues due to COVID-19 for you?
Achievement, performance, motivation, stress?

•

Tell me about your anxiety/stress [or experience with mental health concerns].
o What helps your mental health [e.g., anxiety/stress/sadness] and what makes it
worse?
o How has this effected your mental health (concerns)?
o What has been the hardest thing for you mentally and emotionally?
o Have any of these changes been good for you mentally or emotionally?

•

What have you noticed about how learning and mental health go together/effected one
and other over the past year?
o Do you think they are related or impact one and other?
o What works well for you (what is helpful for you) to learn? What do you like?
o What has impacted your mental health and learning the most?

•

We are interested to know more about motivation and hope. What is your motivation like
these days and how has it fluctuated (changed) over the past year?
o What has hope meant to you during this time? Is hope important to you? Why?

•

Tell me about how your family functions [works] together.
o Problem solving
o Communications
o Roles
o Sharing, showing, discussing, and responding to each other’s feelings

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•

Over the past year, with COVID-19 and the public health restrictions such as physical
distancing and rules about seeing people, what has been the hardest thing for your
relationships with your family or friends?
o Have any of these changes been good for your relationships with family or
friends?

•

When faced with a difficult problem, how do you react? (agency and pathway processes).
o How do you get through these difficult times? What keeps you going?

•

What are some of the things you do, or what personal qualities help you to be successful
each day?
o What is it about you that helps you to be successful each day?

•

Prompt for examples, possible probes related to:
o Routine, exercise, sleep, eating patterns?
o Adaptability? (e.g., problem solving and flexibility)
o Stress management? (stress tolerance and impulse control)
o General mood? (e.g., optimism and happiness)
o Interpersonal? How you interact with and talk to others. (e.g., empathy, social
responsibility, relationships)
o Intrapersonal skills? How you interact with and talk to yourself. (e.g., selfregard, self-awareness, confidence, assertiveness, independence)

•

What do your teachers do, now or in the past, that you find or have found most helpful?

•

Specifically, right now with the COVID-19 health pandemic, what have your schools and
teachers done that you find really supportive?

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o What types of resources are you using? How would you describe the educational
resources you have available to you during the pandemic?
o How do you feel about the amount of support your school is providing during
COVID-19?
•

How does your school and home life work together to support you?
o How do your parents/caregivers and teachers collaborate or communicate?
o Would you like them to work together?
o How do your parents/caregivers support your learning and mental health
concerns? Provide an example.

•

What are you planning for next, what do you look forward to and what are your hopes?

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Appendix C
Parent/Guardian Guide
Purpose of the interview: Same as last year, parents/guardians will be asked to describe their
perceptions of the daily experience related to learning and mental health concerns in their
household and for their child. Parents will be asked to describe the impact of their child’s
experiences on their mental health (e.g., symptoms of anxiety or depression). Parents will also be
asked to speculate about the relation between learning and mental health concerns and to
describe what supportive influences they perceive have benefited their child.
Demographic Questions:
1. Child’s age? Child’s grade? School division? Any diagnoses (child’s)? Any inclusive
education services? Any mental health service?
2. Parent gender
3. Parent age
4. Parent racial/ethnic identity
5. Location
6. Parental education
7. Employment status
8. Parental marital status
9. Optional - Socioeconomic status (annual household income)
Interview questions/prompts:
o Here is a summary of your interview from last year (interviewer will read the
bullet points and maybe share the screen). Interview summary will have been
emailed to.

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o After hearing and reading your summary, what stands out for you?
What has been the same for you over the past year, and what has
changed?
o Overall, how was your family impacted by the change in school (closures and
change to emergency remote instruction) from last year? In general, how have
you been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic?
o Tell me about how your family functions [works] together over the past year.
What has changed for the better, and for the worse?
o Problem solving
o Communications
o Roles, e.g., prompt - does one parents or caregiver assume primary
responsibility of child’s learning and mental health needs?
o Sharing, showing, discussing and responding to each other’s feelings
o What have you noticed about how the past year has affected your child’s
learning (challenges) and mental health concerns?
•

How have learning and mental health difficulties interacted/looked this year?

•

What has worked well for your child this year?
o How do they like to learn? What supports their mental health? What types of
resources are you using? How have you been involved with resources or
supports/interventions aimed at learning and mental health concerns for your
child?

•

How have you communicated and collaborated with your child’s school this year?

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o What have you found most helpful in having a relationship with your
child’s school?
o How has your relationship and collaboration with your child’s school changed
with COVID-19?
•

Do you have any ideas about how things could be made this better for other families and
for children and teens?

•

What has hope meant to you during this time? Is hope important to you or what do you
hope for? Why?
o What are you planning for next, what do you look forward to and what are your
hopes?