The effects of social isolation on romanian young people in the coronavirus pandemic context
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Abstract
The quarantine imposed by the COVID-19 virus pandemic has an impact on young people’ mental health. This was shown after 1,207 young people across Romania responded to an online survey undertaken by Copaceanu. The subjects were 72.4% female and 27.6% male and their average age is 21.93 years. The results show increased consumption of tobacco, alcohol and food during this period, more worried and anxious young people. Female participants experienced significantly more (p <0.001) anxiety than males. Experiencing anxiety does not differ depending on the number of people living in the same house with the subjects. We found that family income and the size of family did not influence participants ‘stress or anxiety. Regarding food, 50.9% said they ate more than usual and 17% gained at least 5 kg, while 13.8% lost weight. Furthermore, young people who used the Internet in excess reported a higher percentage (43.9%) of sleep disorders, compared to people who do not use the Internet excessively (21.2%). However, the participants also showed considerable optimism which indicates an important psychological resource. Data suggest the need for psychological interventions tailored on young people’s needs.
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