Panel-discussion and workshop within the CSF project YO-VID 22 were held

A panel-discussion and workshop within the CSF project “Youth wellbeing and support structures before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic – YO-VID 22“ were held in Zagreb, on 14 May 2024.

The Principal Investigator of the Croatian research group Dunja Potočnik, PhD introduced preliminary results of the project, collected by the questionnaire survey and focus-groups with Croatian youth aged 16 to 29. The member of the Croatian team prof. Darja Maslić Seršić, PhD presented alarming data pointing to the growing depression, anxiety and stress among youth in Croatia, particularly in comparison to the situation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Principal Investigator of the Slovenian team Associate Professor Andrej Naterer, PhD and project collaborator prof. Miran Lavrič, PhD presented results of the research conducted among youth in Slovenia, also providing a non-optimistic portrayal of this population's mental health.

The findings point to an increased need of the young for support structures during the pandemic, primarily those informal, provided by parents, friends and partners. Moreover, leader of the Croatian research team Dunja Potočnik, PhD warned about a completely inadequate level of formal support to the young who were seeking psychological help during the pandemic in Croatia.

The preliminary results were also commented and discussed by prof. Vlasta Ilišin, PhD, Josip Miličević (Croatian Youth Network), Eva Kotnik (National Youth Council of Slovenia) and prof. Gordana Kuterovac Jagodić, PhD.

Based on the current research findings, the members of the project research team discussed and outlined the recommendations for the improvement of youth wellbeing.

More information about the project is available here.