1
|
Parrello S, Postiglione J, Sica LS, De Rosa B, Parola A, Regnoli GM, Fenizia E, Sommantico M. Italian university students' future time perspective and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1404952. [PMID: 39114590 PMCID: PMC11304507 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1404952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, young adults worldwide showed signs of distress as they were affected in their specific developmental tasks, including the construction of personal and professional futures. Methods The present study aimed to assess the situational future time perspective of Italian university students during the second pandemic wave, as measured by an ad hoc constructed instrument, to explore its interaction with some dispositional traits relevant in future construction, such as optimism, sense of life, aggression, and dispositional future time perspective, and to test their effect on psychological well-being. The total sample consisted of 389 subjects (18-35 years, M = 23.5, SD = 4.4). Results and discussion The results indicated that the pandemic experience, assessed by surveying specific indicators, negatively affected the future time perspective of students, particularly those dispositionally optimistic and convinced that life has meaning. However, awareness of the negative impact that the pandemic brought to the vision of the future seems to have dampened the levels of depression and stress, while anxiety was found to be related only to dispositional traits. The results also suggested the need for educational and economic policies that help young adults develop confidence in the future and in their ability to build it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Santa Parrello
- Department of Humanities, Section of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Naples “Federico II”, Naples, Italy
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gondek D, Vandecasteele L, Sánchez-Mira N, Steinmetz S, Mehmeti T, Voorpostel M. The COVID-19 pandemic and wellbeing in Switzerland-worse for young people? Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health 2024; 18:67. [PMID: 38844962 PMCID: PMC11157761 DOI: 10.1186/s13034-024-00760-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The key objective of our study was to describe the population-average trajectories of wellbeing, spanning the period of 2017-2022, comparing young people with other age groups. Moreover, we aimed to identify subgroups of young people who experienced disproportionate changes in wellbeing. METHODS We used longitudinal data from six waves (2017-2022) of the Swiss Household Panel. Participants were at least 14 years old in 2017 and had at least one valid composite measure of wellbeing between 2017 and 2022 (n individuals = 11,224; n observations = 49,032). The data were typically collected with telephone or web interviewing. The age of participants ranged from 14 to 102, with a roughly equal distribution of men (51.1%) and women (48.9%). We conceptualized wellbeing as positive affect and life satisfaction, negative affect, stress and psychosomatic symptoms. We described the trajectories of wellbeing using piecewise growth curve analysis. We included sociodemographic characteristics to further describe wellbeing trajectories across subgroups of young people. These comprised (1) gender, (2) migration status, (3) partnership status, (4) living with parents, (5) education/employment status, (6) household income. RESULTS Young people (age 14-25) experienced a steady decline in positive affect and life satisfaction throughout the entire period, with the greatest change occurring before the pandemic (2017-2019). The trajectories in this outcome were largely stable in other age groups. Moreover, young individuals showed a more pronounced increase in negative affect, particularly in the pre-pandemic years, compared to older groups. Negative affect increased during the pandemic, followed by a subsequent decline post-pandemic, observed similarly across all age groups. Among young people specifically, the trajectory of stress was similar to the one of negative affect. However, issues such as sleep problems, weakness, weariness, and headaches continued to increase in this population from 2017 to 2022. We also found evidence for a greater increase in negative affect during the pandemic in young women and those not in employment or education. CONCLUSIONS Given the fact that the decline in young people's wellbeing in Switzerland started two years before the pandemic, our study emphasises the importance of consideing their wellbeing within a broader systemic context beyond pandemic-related changes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Gondek
- FORS Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences, c/o Université de Lausanne, room 5893, Géopolis, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - L Vandecasteele
- Institute of Social Sciences (ISS), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - N Sánchez-Mira
- Institute of Sociology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - S Steinmetz
- Institute of Social Sciences (ISS), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - T Mehmeti
- Institute of Sociology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - M Voorpostel
- FORS Swiss Centre of Expertise in the Social Sciences, c/o Université de Lausanne, room 5893, Géopolis, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wiedemann A, Jones PB, Burn AM. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on young adults' mental health and beyond: a qualitative investigation nested within an ongoing general population cohort study. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2024:10.1007/s00127-024-02659-5. [PMID: 38578523 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-024-02659-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Initial discussions about the COVID-19 pandemic often overlooked its impact on young adults. By employing a qualitative approach nested within an ongoing general population cohort study, we seek to fill a gap in the literature by providing insights into the longer-term impact on this demographic. METHODS Data collection involved the use of in-depth semi-structured interviews. Using a pre-determined sampling frame, we purposively recruited 30 participants based on age, gender, ethnicity, and deprivation from the Neuroscience in Psychiatry Network (NSPN). The NSPN cohort, established in 2012, consists of 2403 young people aged 14-24 at baseline, recruited from Greater London and Cambridgeshire. Interviews were conducted in Autumn 2022; data were analysed using the framework method. RESULTS Participants were on average 28 years old (SD = 3 years, range 24-34 years; 53.3% female). The sample comprised individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, with 40% from non-White ethnic groups. Many young adults reported profound personal growth and a stronger sense of resilience, a perception observed across varying levels of anxiety or depression. Nevertheless, we observed substantial disruptions to their personal and professional lives such as returning to their parents' homes, often deferring other life plans, lacking mental health support, and encountering significant career challenges. CONCLUSION Our findings highlight the complexity of pandemic impacts, demonstrating the need for supportive policies and further research to understand the circumstances under which genuine personal growth occurs, whether it is enduring or transient, and which factors influence it.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Wiedemann
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK.
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.
- Applied Research Collaboration, National Institute for Health Research, East of England, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
- Applied Research Collaboration, National Institute for Health Research, East of England, Cambridge, UK
| | - Anne-Marie Burn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Douglas House, 18B Trumpington Road, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
- Applied Research Collaboration, National Institute for Health Research, East of England, Cambridge, UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Balint L, Osvath P, Rihmer Z, Dome P. Recovering from the first shock? Changes in suicidality during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with traditionally high levels of completed suicides. J Affect Disord 2024; 347:230-236. [PMID: 38007107 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Revised: 11/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hungary was among the few countries where suicidality increased in the first year of the COVID pandemic. In this study, we sought to investigate whether that elevated suicide mortality had changed by 2021, when the number of fatalities due to COVID-19 was much higher than in 2020. METHODS We used an interrupted time-series analysis with (quasi-) Poisson regression, controlling for linear trend and seasonal effects, to estimate the effect of the pandemic on the suicide rates of various subpopulations. For both pandemic years the changes in risk of suicide were compared to the period between 2015 and 2019. RESULTS Although the pandemic had a significant adverse effect on suicidality in 2020 in the Hungarian total population and in males, by 2021 this effect had vanished. In the total population, those aged 25 years and older had elevated suicidality in 2020 but neither age group in the total population had elevated suicidality in 2021. In the total population, increased risks of suicide death could be observed among residents of the capital city (in 2020 and 2021), villages (in 2020), and - in terms of regions - "Central Hungary" (in 2020 and 2021). Only the risk of violent suicides was significantly higher for both the total and male populations (and only in 2020). LIMITATIONS We used non-individual level data. CONCLUSIONS The increased suicidality in 2020 had abated by 2021. In the paper, we discuss the possible explanations for our findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lajos Balint
- Demographic Research Institute of the Hungarian Central Statistical Office, Budapest, Hungary; Department of Sociology, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.
| | - Peter Osvath
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Rihmer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Peter Dome
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary; National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary.
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Gouin J, de la Torre‐Luque A, Sánchez‐Carro Y, Geoffroy M, Essau C. Heterogeneity in the trajectories of psychological distress among late adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. JCPP ADVANCES 2023; 3:e12195. [PMID: 38054054 PMCID: PMC10694544 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has constrained opportunities in social, educational and professional domains, leading to developmental challenges for adolescents initiating their transition to adulthood. Meta-analysis indicated that there was a small increase in psychological distress during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, significant heterogeneity in the psychological response to the COVID-19 pandemic was noted. Developmental antecedents as well as social processes may account for such heterogeneity. The goal of this study was to characterize trajectories of psychological distress in late adolescence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods 5014 late adolescents born between 2000 and 2002 from the UK Millennium Cohort Study completed online self-reported assessments at three occasions during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020, September/October 2020 and February/March 2021). These surveys assessed psychological distress, loneliness, social support, family conflict, as well as other pandemic stressors. Information on developmental antecedents were obtained when cohort members were 17 years of age. Results Four distinct trajectories class were identified. Normative class (52.13%) experienced low and decreasing levels of psychological distress, while moderately increasing class (31.84%) experienced a small, but significant increase in distress over time and increasing class (8.75%) exhibited a larger increase in distress after the first wave of the pandemic. Inverted U-shaped class (7.29%) experienced elevated psychological distress during the first wave of the pandemic, followed by a decrease in distress in subsequent waves of the pandemic. Larger longitudinal increases in loneliness were noted among individuals in the elevated distress trajectory, compared to other trajectories. Pre-pandemic psychopathology was associated with elevated distress early in the pandemic. Conclusions The largest trajectory showed low and declining psychological distress, highlighting the resilience of the majority of late adolescents. However, a subgroup of adolescents experienced large increases in psychological distress, identifying a group of individuals more vulnerable to pandemic-related stress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Alejandro de la Torre‐Luque
- Department of Legal Medicine, Psychiatry and PathologyUniversidad Complutense de Madrid, CIBERSAM ISCIIIMadridSpain
| | - Yolanda Sánchez‐Carro
- Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM)Carlos III Health InstituteMadridSpain
| | - Marie‐Claude Geoffroy
- Department of PsychiatryMcGill University and Douglas Mental Health University InstituteMontrealQuebecCanada
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Praus P, Proctor T, Rohrmann T, Benedyk A, Tost H, Hennig O, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Wahl AS. Female sex and burden of depressive symptoms predict insufficient response to telemedical treatment in adult attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: results from a naturalistic patient cohort during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1193898. [PMID: 37867771 PMCID: PMC10585110 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1193898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a chronic neuropsychiatric disorder, that typically manifests itself during childhood and persists in a majority of the affected individuals into adulthood, negatively affecting physical and mental health. Previous studies have shown detrimental effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health in individuals with ADHD. Thus, telemedicine could be a useful tool for optimizing treatment-outcomes in adult ADHD by improving treatment adherence and persistence. However, data on telemedical treatment outcomes in adult patients with ADHD is scarce. Methods We report here the sub-cohort analysis of a naturalistic cohort of adult patients (N = 254) recruited between April 2020-April 2021, comparing the effects of telemedical treatment on participants either clinically diagnosed with depression (N = 54) or ADHD (N = 67). Participants were asked to fill out the WHO-5 repetitively during >12 weeks of telemedical treatment. Furthermore scores of WHO-5, SCL-90R and BDI-II, psychopathology, psychosocial functioning, sociodemographic data, medical records and a feedback survey were analyzed for both groups and compared. Participants with ADHD were further stratified according to the development of well-being during the study period in order to identify factors associated with a satisfactory treatment outcome. Results Participants with depression reported a significant improvement of well-being during the course of the study, while no such effect could be seen in participants with ADHD on a group level. Despite the good outcome, participants with depression were more severely affected at baseline, with significantly worse psychopathology and a more precarious labor and financial situation. A detailed analysis of ADHD participants without clinical improvement revealed significantly higher BDI-II scores than for ADHD participants with a satisfactory outcome (p = 0.03, Mann-Whitney-U-Test), suggesting successful treatment was hampered by the combination of ADHD and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, female sex among ADHD patients was correlated with an unfavorable treatment outcome during the course of the study (p = 0.001, Spearman correlation) as well as living with children (p = 0.02, Spearman correlation). Conclusion Besides screening for depressive symptoms before telemedical treatment, future research should address the specific needs of female ADHD patients as these patients may be at a particularly high risk of being overburdened with family work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter Praus
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tanja Proctor
- Institute of Medical Biometry (IMBI), University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Tobias Rohrmann
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anastasia Benedyk
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Oliver Hennig
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Anna-Sophia Wahl
- Central Institute of Mental Health, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Brain Research Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Anatomy, Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
- Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research, University Hospital of Ludwigs-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
| |
Collapse
|