Many mental illnesses have developed since early adolescence.  It is essential that children have enough relevant information about mental disorders during this period, that they can prevent them and seek help in time in the event of a developing disorder. Research shows that more than 90% of adolescent suicides and 80% of suicide attempts have at least one mental illness (Fleischman, Barondess, 2004, etc.). These alarming facts point to the need for systemic prevention of children's mental disorders, both in terms of preventive work with children and the involvement of parents and teachers. The whole situation was also exacerbated by the covid-19 pandemic, which isolated adolescents from their peers and disrupted their natural socialization.

The research aims to map how pupils in early adolescence evaluate their mental health, in confrontation with the period before the covid pandemic and the lockdown period due to the covid-19 pandemic, when schools were closed in the Czech Republic and it was not possible to meet personally. The research also monitors the factors of physical and especially the physical load of respondents. The conclusions of the research serve to set up a preventive program to support the mental health of students in this age period and the prevention of mental disorders. The research and program is supported by a project of Norwegian funds ZD-ZDOVA1-011 named “Primary prevention of mental disorders in children during young adolescence”.

The research on the observed research problem was carried out in June 2021 among 1,047 pupils in the period of early adolescence, the average age of the respondents was 14 years. The standardized questionnaire SCL-90-S was used as a research tool, which is designed to assess the current mental burden through subjectively perceived difficulties and assess 90 physical and mental symptoms. Another part of the research tool was focused on the assessment of mental health of pupils at the time of the lockdown, when schools were closed in the Czech Republic and meetings were restricted, and after its completion. The data were subjected to correct statistical procedures through the SPSS program.

The main results of the research show that the social isolation caused by school closures during the covid-19 pandemic has a negative impact on the mental health assessment of pupils. While in the regular school regime up to 12.1% of pupils evaluate their mental well-being and mental health (which is an alarming number itself), at the time of exclusion almost a quarter of respondents were mentally uncomfortable, namely 22.8 %. Almost 56% of children felt intense fear for the health of their loved ones, there was also intense fear of returning to school (43.5%) and the related failure to manage school duties (38.4%). The fear of losing friendships (30%) and endangering one's own health (22.5% of respondents) also resonates significantly. It is obvious that in addition to all the circumstances associated with a difficult period of adolescence, ie hormonal changes, the development of stressful situations during adolescence or identity formation, interference with natural social development is absolutely essential and can result in a number of mental health problems and disorders. Therefore, it is necessary to work intensively with this target group, develop its competencies in the field of mental health and prevent possible mental disorders.

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