Rapid Evidence and Policy Brief: COVID-19 Youth Recovery Plan 2020-2022

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected New Zealanders on a unprecedented scale, however young people are disproportionately affected and this impact will be significant and wide-ranging. Young people in Aotearoa New Zealand reported feeling isolated, stressed, anxious and depressed during Alert Level 4. For some cohorts of young people, the COVID-19 lockdown period has further amplified distress and inequities that existed prior to the pandemic. This report details the key issues likely to affect young people in the post-COVID-19 recovery period (2020-2022).

The report pulls together evidence from Aotearoa New Zealand and international sources on how young people (aged 12 to 24) respond to significant events such as major economic downturns, trauma and medical events requiring isolation. It details a youth-driven resiliency framework for recovery from COVID-19 and outlines how post-disaster wellbeing trajectories will impact on traditional segmentation models. It is intended to guide policy and decision-making over the next two years.