Web-Based Monitoring of the Psychological Distress facing Covid-19 in relation to Quality of Life and Social Adjustment in young adults

• Published in: 2021 IEEE International Symposium on Medical Measurements and Applications (MeMeA) pp. 1 - 6
• Main Authors: Marconi, Pier Luigi, Agus, Mirian, Mascia, Maria Lidia, Scognamiglio, Rosamaria, Bandinelli, Pierluca, Penna, Maria Pietronilla
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 23.06.2021
• Subjects: anger; anxiety; COVID-19; Current measurement; Depression; Knowledge engineering; on-line survey; Pandemics; psychological distress; Psychology; quality of life; social adjustment
• DOI: 10.1109/MeMeA52024.2021.9478672

Several recent studies have considered the relationships among quality of life, social adaption, anxiety, depression, and psychological distress in pandemics. A primary aim of the current study was to explore the relationships among the aforementioned psychological dimensions and worries about Covid-19. Furthermore, we aim to highlight the features of young people potentially at risk of psychological distress during the pandemic. The assessment was conducted by a web-based survey, useful in preserving individuals' health against the virus circulation. 185 young individuals (under 30 years old), residing in Sardinia (an Italian island characterized by low indices of virus circulation) participated to the survey completing five questionnaires (RDI, STAS, STAI, WHOQOL, SASS) and a group of items inquiring the knowledge and the worries about pandemic. By the application of linear correlations, principal component analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis, we highlighted the role played by each dimension on participants' self-reported well-being; moreover, we identified four clusters of subjects with different psychological reactions in pandemic as well as the groups of people with higher risk of distress. The suggestions of these results regarding current research trends and clinical opportunities are debated.