The COVID-19 pandemic triggered a social crisis that temporarily affected the entire world population.Predictions of a massive damage to mental health have not been confirmed, but some vulnerable populations have beendisproportionately affected by the infection and the social measures thereby implemented. Many women's mental healthhas deteriorated due to their higher exposure as most of the so-called “essential workers”, and to the larger burden ofresponsibilities they had to shoulder. People at both extremes of the life cycle share common vulnerability factors and wereexposed to isolation and the unavailability of formal support networks in the face of closure of schools, health andrecreational services. Surprisingly, adolescents of both sexes have also suffered a severe emotional impact documented bythe rise in suicidal ideation and behaviors and explained by the distortion of a li...

This research was supported by an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01-HD- 059835). The NIH had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication. The authors wish to thank the dedicated staff members of Asociacion Civil Proyectos en Salud (PROESA), Peru and Instituto Materno Perinatal, Peru for their expert technical assistance with this research.