Written by: Alejandra Legarda R. - Journalist

The COVID-19 pandemic was not only a physical health crisis but also a mental health crisis, especially among adolescents. Various studies have shown that the lockdown and lack of social interaction accelerated brain aging in young people, particularly in girls. Researchers from the University of Washington found that the brains of teenage girls showed an advancement in maturation by up to 4.2 years, compared to 1.4 years in boys.

This accelerated aging, known as cortical thinning, is a manifestation of how chronic stress affects the brain. This type of brain change is associated with disorders such as anxiety and depression, which had already been reported more frequently in teenage girls during the lockdown. The difference in acceleration between boys and girls could be explained by the reliance of teenage girls on emotional relationships to manage stress, a type of interaction that was particularly affected during the lockdown.