Adolescer in Time of COVID-19's Pandemic: Rationale and Construction Process of a Digital Intervention to Promote...

The coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted children's and adolescents' lives due to policies and regulations implemented to slow the virus from spreading, which led to a loss of routine, structure, academic support, and social contacts. Literature also reports a lack of outdoor activity, inappropriate diet, and disruption of sleeping habits as affecting children's and adolescents' lifestyles and well-being. Remarkably, these consequent psychological, behavioral, and emotional changes can compromise their self-esteem, sense of self-efficacy, and self-concept, affecting their immune systems. These maladaptive coping strategies and associated effects may emerge as a failure to access some of the sources of support that might help them cope. Facing this crisis, we aimed at promoting well-being, growth, and the positive development of Portuguese adolescents through an intervention focused on positive coping strategies. We developed "Adolescer in time of COVID-19-A good practices Guide for adolescents in social distancing" as a digital document to be quickly disseminated online, answering the emergent needs of Portuguese youth between 13 and 18 years old during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this article, we present the rationale and process of construction of this intervention while living within a quarantine period, considering the restrictive measures adopted at the time.