Italian University Students’ Resilience during the COVID-19 Lockdown—A Structural Equation Model about the Relationship between Resilience, Emotion Regulation and Well-Being

Abstract

Over the past two years, the consequences of the severe restrictions imposed by the rapid spread of COVID-19 among the global population have been a central focus of scientific research. The pandemic has been a singular and unexpected event that found people unprepared and vulnerable in responding to its emergence, resulting in substantial psychological distress. Scientific evidence has highlighted that adolescents and emerging adults have been among those populations at greatest risk of adverse psychological outcomes, even in the long term. In particular, more than one-third of young adults reported high levels of loneliness, and nearly half of 18- to 24-year-olds felt lonely during the pandemic, experiencing both psychological and emotional distress. The lockdown, the consequent suspension of face-to-face academic activities and the severe restriction of social life have disrupted the daily routines of students already involved in coping with developmental tasks related to identity formation and the relational experience. Under such conditions, emotions and emotional regulation skills are crucial in adapting behavior to reach academic goals and face mounting levels of distress. Therefore, several studies have investigated resilience mechanisms and coping strategies of emerging adults during the pandemic. The present study focuses on university students and explores the impact of resilience and emotional regulation on adverse psychological outcomes related to persistent distress conditions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Students were administered a self-report assessment battery through an online platform at the beginning (T0) and the end of the lockdown (T1). A structural equation model (SEM) was used to explore the relationship between resilience, emotional regulation difficulties and psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress). The findings indicate that psychological resilience and emotion regulation are protective factors that buffer the extent of possible distress resulting from an adverse condition such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Distance Learning in Nursing Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Psychosocial Impact for the Greek Nursing Students—A Qualitative Approach

“…In a period of crisis, it was hard to keep those bonds in the academic community tight; nevertheless, Greeks have always placed a high value on education and embraced learning. Additionally, as mentioned in the literature of the classical Greeks of antiquity, such as Aristotle, a basic condition of the sustainability of democracy and civilization is the deep connection of learning with intellectual innovations [ 28 ].…”

Trends in the numbers of SARS-CoV-2 infections among students: a prospective cohort study comparing students in sports boarding schools with students in day schools during early COVID-19 pandemic

“…In this context, already performed school closures and contact restrictions placed particular demands on children and adolescents. Social contacts with peers represent an important factor for young people in finding their identity, social development and general wellbeing ( 33 – 35 ). Negative consequences of the pandemic situation on the psychological and physical wellbeing of young people in Germany were investigated as part of the nationwide COPSY study.…”

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Swedish Adolescents’ Mental Health, Psychosocial Functioning, Risk Behaviours, and Victimisation: Gender Differences and Implications

“…This is important to consider, as it paints a picture of a nation of content individuals who can rely on their relationships during challenging times, elucidating why the resilience described by Masten [28] is more apparent among Swedish youth. Another relevant study that explored psychological resilience among slightly older adolescents (18-24 years) was conducted by Renati et al [30] in Italy. Their findings suggest that psychological resilience serves as a mitigating factor for potential emotional disturbances arising from adverse circumstances, such as pandemics.…”