Qualitative Interviews on Adolescent Pandemic Experiences

We recruited participants nationally through social media (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Reddit), email campaigns, distribution of flyers, and communication with our SMEs and partnerships that our center has developed with community organizations (eg, school systems). Eligibility criteria required participants to be fluent in English, aged 14-18 years, to have access to Wi-Fi, to not be experiencing active psychosis or suicidality, and to live within the United States. Participants were restricted to the United States given that the pandemic was at different stages of quarantine and restriction worldwide and that technology access and common use may differ substantially based on culture and location. We received >200 emails from individuals who expressed an interest in participating in the interviews. However, 66 individuals were not eligible to participate based on the study criteria; most of them were ineligible because they were based outside the United States. A total of 88 individuals were lost to follow-up. A total of 50 interviews were conducted.
High school and undergraduate research interns conducted interviews with all participants. A research staff member was also on the call to provide support and input as needed. Interns were trained in semistructured interviewing techniques and followed an interview script to conduct the interview (Multimedia Appendix 1 provides a list of the interview questions). They were also trained on how to adhere to the safety protocol should adolescents disclose high-risk behavior. Interviews were scheduled for 60 minutes and were completed via Zoom. Interviewees were by themselves in their homes or at a location of their choice during the interviews, and they were compensated with an electronic gift card for their participation in the study.