Current global crises and youth mental health in Germany: the role of media use, coping and resources
4 affiliations
- 1Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
- 2Alice Salomon University of Applied Science, Berlin, Germany
- 3German Center for Child and Adolescent Health (DZKJ), Partner Site Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- 4Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Abstract
Young people are currently facing multiple global crises. This study provides an overview of recent data from a population-based German study to examine youth mental health in this multi-crisis context and explores coping strategies and social media use. Data were drawn from eight survey waves (T1/2020–T8/2025) of the nationwide COPSY study, including n = 3,312 families and n = 2,291 adolescent self-reports. The design combined longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional measurement. Validated instruments assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL), symptoms of mental disorders, crisis-related worries, social media use, coping strategies, and resources. Data were analyzed descriptively and compared with pre-pandemic reference data. Cross-sectional associations at T8 were examined using chi-square tests and logistic regression adjusted for age and gender. In autumn 2025, the proportions of children and adolescents reporting low HRQoL (22%), mental health problems (23%), anxiety symptoms (25%), or loneliness (18%) remained slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Worries remained widespread, particularly regarding wars (70%), terrorism (62%) and economic problems (57%). Crisis-related future anxiety was cross-sectionally associated with low HRQoL and mental health problems (ORs = 1.8–3.4) in 2025. Social media use was high, with many youths reporting exposure to distressing content. Active coping strategies were used most frequently, while strong personal, familial, and social resources showed potentially protective associations with mental health outcomes (ORs = 0.1–0.2). Despite signs of recovery, elevated crisis-related worries and strong associations between future anxiety and mental health indicate ongoing vulnerability among youth. Strengthening psychosocial resources and promoting safe digital environments deserve greater attention in public health and prevention efforts.
Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6.
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BibTeX
@article{kaman2026current,
title = {{Current global crises and youth mental health in Germany: the role of media use, coping and resources}},
author = {Anne Kaman and Janine Devine and Michael Erhart and Ann-Kathrin Napp and Franziska Reiss and Christine M. Freitag and Fionna Zoellner and Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer},
journal = {European Child \& Adolescent Psychiatry},
year = {2026},
month = jun,
doi = {10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Current global crises and youth mental health in Germany: the role of media use, coping and resources
AU - Anne Kaman
AU - Janine Devine
AU - Michael Erhart
AU - Ann-Kathrin Napp
AU - Franziska Reiss
AU - Christine M. Freitag
AU - Fionna Zoellner
AU - Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/06/13
JO - European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
DO - 10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6
AB - Young people are currently facing multiple global crises. This study provides an overview of recent data from a population-based German study to examine youth mental health in this multi-crisis context and explores coping strategies and social media use. Data were drawn from eight survey waves (T1/2020–T8/2025) of the nationwide COPSY study, including n = 3,312 families and n = 2,291 adolescent self-reports. The design combined longitudinal and repeated cross-sectional measurement. Validated instruments assessed health-related quality of life (HRQoL), symptoms of mental disorders, crisis-related worries, social media use, coping strategies, and resources. Data were analyzed descriptively and compared with pre-pandemic reference data. Cross-sectional associations at T8 were examined using chi-square tests and logistic regression adjusted for age and gender. In autumn 2025, the proportions of children and adolescents reporting low HRQoL (22%), mental health problems (23%), anxiety symptoms (25%), or loneliness (18%) remained slightly above pre-pandemic levels. Worries remained widespread, particularly regarding wars (70%), terrorism (62%) and economic problems (57%). Crisis-related future anxiety was cross-sectionally associated with low HRQoL and mental health problems (ORs = 1.8–3.4) in 2025. Social media use was high, with many youths reporting exposure to distressing content. Active coping strategies were used most frequently, while strong personal, familial, and social resources showed potentially protective associations with mental health outcomes (ORs = 0.1–0.2). Despite signs of recovery, elevated crisis-related worries and strong associations between future anxiety and mental health indicate ongoing vulnerability among youth. Strengthening psychosocial resources and promoting safe digital environments deserve greater attention in public health and prevention efforts. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-026-03092-6.
SN - 1018-8827
SN - 1435-165X
ER -