Study of resilience and loneliness in youth (18–25 years old) during the COVID‐19 pandemic lockdown measures

• Published in: Journal of community psychology Vol. 49; no. 2; pp. 468 - 480
• Main Authors: Marchini, Simone, Zaurino, Elena, Bouziotis, Jason, Brondino, Natascia, Delvenne, Véronique, Delhaye, Marie
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2021
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Belgium; COVID-19; COVID‐19 pandemic; emerging adulthood; Emotional distress; Female; Health services; Health status; Help seeking behavior; Humans; Internet; Italy; Loneliness; Loneliness - psychology; Male; Mental disorders; Mental Disorders - psychology; Mental health; Pandemics; Protective Factors; Psychological distress; PTSD; Quarantine; Resilience; Resilience (Psychology); Resilience, Psychological; Risk factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Trauma; Young Adult; Youth; Belgium; Italy; PTSD; COVID-19 pandemic; emerging adulthood; mental health; loneliness; resilience; youth
• ISSN: 0090-4392; 1520-6629; 1520-6629
• DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22473

This study evaluated the risks and protective factors in mental health in 825 emerging adults aged from 18 to 25 years old in Belgium and in Italy. Resilience, loneliness and social, and family context were explored to determine their specific role in coping with the emotional distress that spread worldwide during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey on the secured platform Research Electronic Data Capture©. Data were collected between April 7th and May 4th, 2020. The primary outcomes were the resilience scale for adults (RSA) and the University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale. The secondary outcomes included mental health status in terms of professional help seeking, use of psychotropic drugs, admission to a psychiatric department before and during lockdown measures. Responders were divided into three groups following the mental healthcare needs (MHCN) before and after the lockdown measures. The group who experienced an increase in MHCN represented almost 5% of the assessed youth. Statistically significant differences were found in means of RSA total score and RSA perception of self. This study enlightens the possibly traumatic impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on at‐risk youth's mental health. Early detection and intervention should be structured in large‐scale disasters.