The Impact of Social Isolation during the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical and Mental Health: The Lived Experience of Adolescents with Obesity and Their Caregivers

Adolescence is a complex developmental phase, made more complex by obesity andthe social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature related to the impact ofsocial isolation on obesity self-management in adolescents is scant and inconsistent. This paperdescribes the phenomenon from the perspectives of a sample of adolescents with obesity enrolled inan inpatients’ multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for weight-loss and their caregivers, and itsimpact on different life domains. Individual semi-structured ad hoc interviews were conducted with10 adolescent-caregiver dyads, and narratives were qualitatively investigated using an interpretativephenomenology approach to data. Twenty participants took part in the study. The major themesthat emerged from this study fall into five basic categories: (1) COVID-19 as an opportunity toreconsider what makes a good life; (2) Persistence in life; (3) Empowering relationship; (4) Dailyroutine in quarantine; (5) Lives on hold. Understandings drawn from this study may assist healthcare professionals in providing holistic support, and guidance to adolescents with weight-relatedissues and their caregivers who experience social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic