“The survey is a tool for giving young people a voice,” explains Dr. Severine Thomas, research associate at the Institute for Social and Organizational Pedagogy at the University of Hildesheim. She conducted the study together with Mareike Daps. “Youth and COVID-19” was the first study to examine the psychosocial consequences for young people (aged 15 to 30) as early as April 2020 (i.e., at the start of the pandemic). The goal of the five rounds of the study was to find out how young people feel under the influence of current societal crises - and how they cope with them. After all, the COVID-19 pandemic is not the only crisis affecting young people.

The basis for the new study: The researchers assumed that climate change, discrimination, war, and inflation play a major role in the lives of young people. Daps and Thomas therefore included these societal crises in the “Youth and Corona” survey and also asked what young people in Germany are doing to cope with these crises. 

Mentally stressed, lonely, and politically unsettled - that’s how young people feel 

The results show: Many young people in Germany still feel more mentally stressed than before the pandemic. While the numbers of mental health conditions are slowly declining, they remain relatively high and above pre-pandemic levels: “Many young people have not shaken off the symptoms of stress,” explains Thomas. Loneliness is also a significant issue for young people: around 30 percent of respondents reported feeling affected by it during the pandemic. The government’s handling of the pandemic has deeply unsettled young people and weakened their trust in the state. Furthermore, the young people surveyed growing financial worries and fears about the future.

Nevertheless, the majority of respondents are generally satisfied with their individual life situations. Young people seem capable of viewing their lives positively despite difficult circumstances. Friends and other close relationships play a major role in coping with stress and worries. Those who meet more friends in the real world and have no financial problems are happier - according to the study.

The stress will not resolve itself

Thomas explains that the fact young people feel so stressed is also an important message for institutions that work with young people. These include child and youth welfare services, schools, sports clubs, and universities. The new findings from the study are intended to encourage dialogue with young people and the development of new approaches. After all, the stress young people face due to crises such as climate change, natural disasters, and war will not “regulate itself.” Instead, strategies must be developed that allow young people to participate fully in life - even in times of crisis - and have their concerns taken seriously.

Further information

The complete results of the study can be found here: https://doi.org/10.18442/338
Scientific contact:
Dr. Severine Thomas
thomass@uni-hildesheim.de

The project was funded by the COVID-19 Research Network Lower Saxony (COFONI) with funding from the Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.