Introduction Health emergencies, such as epidemics, have detrimental and long-lasting consequences on people’s mental health, which are higher during the implementation of strict lockdown measures. Despite several recent psychological researches on the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic highlighting that young adults represent a high risk category, no studies specifically focused on young adults’ mental health status have been carried out yet. This study aimed to assess and monitor Italian young adults’ mental health status during the first 4 weeks of lockdown through the use of a longitudinal panel design. Methods Participants ( n = 97) provided self-reports in four time intervals (1-week intervals) in 1 month. The Syndromic Scales of Adult Self-Report 18-59 were used to assess the internalizing problems (anxiety/depression, withdrawn, and somatic complaints), externalizing problems (aggressive, rule-breaking, and intrusive behavior), and personal strengths. To determine the time-varying effects of prolonged quarantine, a growth curve modeling will be performed. Results The results showed an increase in anxiety/depression, withdrawal, somatic complaints, aggressive behavior, rule-breaking behavior, and internalizing and externalizing problems and a decrease in intrusive behavior and personal strengths from T1 to T4. Conclusions The results contributed to the ongoing debate concerning the psychological impact of the COVID-19 emergency, helping to plan and develop efficient intervention projects able to take care of young adults’ mental health in the long term.

The increasing number of asylum seekers and refugees in Europe calls for even more professionals to take care of refugees' mental health. Although different studies claim that migration could be a potential risk factor for self‐harming behaviours, an in‐depth exploration of the presence and characteristics of self‐harm in the context of asylum is needed. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, a systematic review was conducted across the databases Scopus, PubMed, Web of Knowledge and PsycArticles, regarding the main features of self‐harming behaviour among refugees in Europe. Twelve articles and 3 main trajectories were identified: (1) A context at‐risk: self‐harm and detention centres; (2) A target at‐risk: self‐harm and unaccompanied minors; (3) A comparison between the mental health of asylum seekers and natives. Research on this topic in Europe is still underdeveloped and disorganised. Studies have mainly carried out wider quantitative investigations on mental health, usually overlapping self‐harm with suicide. Detention centres emerged as the most widely investigated context and the one with the highest risk for self‐harming behaviours. Instead, unaccompanied minors emerged as a particularly vulnerable category. Research in this field should be improved, combining quantitative and qualitative methods for a deeper understanding of the meanings of self‐harm across cultures.

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