Young people are navigating an increasingly uncertain and unstable social and economic environment, further complicated by COVID-19. Individual resources and vulnerabilities, such as mental health and sensitivity to stress, play a significant role in how well youth adapt to the career paths and living conditions altered by the pandemic, a dynamic that is not yet well understood. This study examined the role of COVID-19 on the intertwined relation between perceived stress and depressiveness (negative and positive affect) in adolescents, focusing on gender differences. Longitudinal data from 673 German adolescents (M_age = 16.8 years, SD_age = 0.91; female = 59%) were collected in three waves, before (T1) and during the pandemic (T2, T3). Using Latent Change Score models, the bidirectional relation between perceived stress and depressiveness was analyzed, considering gender as a moderator. The results showed that adolescents who found their situation stressful were at risk of developing depressiveness at the outbreak of the pandemic and throughout its progression. As the pandemic progressed, an increase in positive affect was linked to heightened perceived stress. Gender-specific differences were particularly evident in the levels of perceived stress and depressiveness, with women being more vulnerable. This study highlights how vulnerabilities in stress perception affect adolescents’ mental health, with gender-specific differences underscoring the need for tailored mental health measures.

年轻人正在应对日益不确定和不稳定的社会和经济环境，而新冠肺炎 (COVID-19) 使情况变得更加复杂。个人资源和脆弱性，例如心理健康和对压力的敏感性，在青年人如何适应大流行改变的职业道路和生活条件方面发挥着重要作用，但这一动态尚未得到充分理解。本研究探讨了 COVID-19 对青少年感知压力和抑郁（消极和积极影响）之间交织关系的作用，重点关注性别差异。分三波收集了 673 名德国青少年（M_年龄= 16.8 岁， SD_年龄= 0.91；女性 = 59%）的纵向数据，即疫情前 (T1) 和疫情期间 (T2、T3)。使用潜在变化评分模型，分析感知压力和抑郁之间的双向关系，并将性别视为调节因素。结果表明，在疫情爆发期间及其整个发展过程中，那些感到压力重重的青少年有患抑郁症的风险。随着疫情的发展，积极情绪的增加与感知压力的增加有关。性别差异在感知压力和抑郁水平方面尤其明显，女性更容易受到伤害。这项研究强调了压力感知的脆弱性如何影响青少年的心理健康，其中性别差异强调了制定量身定制的心理健康措施的必要性。