Parents have been told their teenagers could be experiencing long-term side effects since following the Covid pandemic.
According to new data, young people who witnessed the global health emergency are more prone to stress.
In the US, researches at
State University College of Medicine believe the pandemic changed how we think, feel and behave.
Writing in PLOS One, they said younger adults have become "more neurotic", less cooperative and more prone to stress.
The changes they identified in personality, they said, had been equivalent to how a person would usually change over a ten year period of time.
The authors said: "Younger adults became moodier and more prone to stress, less cooperative and trusting, and less restrained and responsible.
"There was limited personality change early in the pandemic but striking changes starting in 2021."
UK government data previously found that pre-pandemic, young people had lower levels of emotional difficulties and stress.
Although younger people had less serious infections, many were concerned about not being able to make exams as a result of contracting the virus.
At the start of the pandemic, 91 per cent of young people said they were adhering strictly to lockdowns.
Experts think they were anxious about future prospects and their careers.
The data from Floridian medics examines data 7,109 people from the ages of 18 to 109.
They undertook over 18,000 different personality assessments and compared different traits such as agreeableness and conscientiousness.
Then experts examined how these differed between May 2014 to February 2020, before coronavirus, the beginning of the pandemic, and the ending of the pandemic, the end of 2021 and the start of 2022.
While a major change was seen in younger adults, older people showed no significant difference.
The authors concluded that if these changes last, then population-wide stressful events could alter the trajectory of personal development - especially in young people.
Previously, Covid has been linked to depression and other issues such as brain fog.
The current strain, Omicron, is however, milder than those that came before it and high vaccine rates have meant Brits are learning to live with the illness.
The study from experts in Florida comes as medics in the UK revealed this winter's wave might not be as bad as first thought - despite a rise in cases.
According to the ZOE Health Study, there are currently 176,090 new infections each day.
This is an increase of 72 per cent from 102,457 reported a month ago.
Professor Tim Spector, Scientific Co-Founder of ZOE said the autumn wave of the bug is on the way, as hospital admissions are rising.
He told The Sun: "We are already at rates last seen in the June wave. With rates on the rise, especially in the vulnerable elderly age groups, the impact on hospitalisations could be higher.
"However, the youngest age group are showing possible early signs of case numbers slowing.
"Children tend to be a leader of infection trends, so if this continues next week it is possible that the Covid wave might not be as bad as previously predicted."
But he added that Brits could be subjected to a 'combination' of viruses.
He added: "With the increase in colds and rhinovirus, as well as Covid-19, and the likelihood of a major seasonal flu epidemic, it’s especially important to keep vulnerable people properly protected.
"I advise everyone eligible to get the latest autumn Covid-19 booster as well as the flu jab to provide protection from serious illness and hospitalisation, and to avoid poorly ventilated areas without FFP mask protection.
"In addition, maintaining a high quality diet is important to maintain protection against Covid and flu, especially in the elderly."
