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 and the
social isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature related to the impact of social
isolation on obesity self-management in adolescents is scant and inconsistent. This paper describes
the phenomenon from the perspectives of a sample of adolescents with obesity enrolled in an inpatients’
multidisciplinary rehabilitation program for weight-loss and their caregivers, and its impact
on different life domains. Individual semi-structured ad hoc interviews were conducted with 10
adolescent-caregiver dyads, and narratives were qualitatively investigated using an interpretative
phenomenology approach to data. Twenty participants took part in the study. The major themes
that emerged from this study fall into five basic categories: (1) COVID-19 as an opportunity to reconsider
what makes a good life; (2) Persistence in life; (3) Empowering relationship; (4) Daily routine
in quarantine; (5) Lives on hold. Understandings drawn from this study may assist health care
professionals in providing holistic support, and guidance to adolescents with weight-related issues
and their caregivers who experience social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic.