Coping with the mental health impact of COVID-19: A study protocol for a multinational longitudinal study on coping and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Mental health is challenged due to serious life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and can differ by the level of resilience. National studies on mental health and resilience of individuals and communities during the pandemic provide heterogeneous results and more data on mental health outcomes and resilience trajectories are needed to better understand the impact of the pandemic on mental health in Europe. METHODS: COPERS (Coping with COVID-19 with Resilience Study) is an observational multinational longitudinal study conducted in eight European countries (Albania, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Romania, Serbia, and Slovenia). Recruitment of participants is based on convenience sampling and data are gathered through an online questionnaire. gathering data on depression, anxiety, stress-related symptoms suicidal ideation and resilience. Resilience is measured with the Brief Resilience Scale and with the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. Depression is measured with the Patient Health Questionnaire, Anxiety with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale and stress-related symptoms with the Impact of Event Scale Revised- Suicidal ideation is assessed using item 9 of the PHQ-9. We also consider potential determinants and moderating factors for mental health conditions, including sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., age, gender), social environmental factors (e.g., loneliness, social capital) and coping strategies (e.g., Self-efficacy Belief). DISCUSSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to multi-nationally and longitudinally determine mental health outcomes and resilience trajectories in Europe during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of this study will help to determine mental health conditions during the COVID-19 pandemic across Europe. The findings may benefit pandemic preparedness planning and future evidence-based mental health policies.

Positive mental health in Slovenia before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Mental health has been heavily affected during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study we compared the prevalence of flourishing and languishing mental health during the pandemic and examined which factors are associated with either category of positive mental health respectively. Methods: Data from two cross-sectional surveys with nationally representative samples of adult population in Slovenia conducted in 2019 (n = 9,047) and in 2021 (n = 3,429) are used. Positive mental health was measured with Mental Health Continuum-Short Form instrument. Logistic regression was used to examine the associations between flourishing and languishing mental health and relevant COVID-19 specific and other health-related factors. Results: There was a substantial decrease in the prevalence of flourishing and an increase in the prevalence of languishing mental health during the pandemic. Distribution of both flourishing and languishing mental health followed the socio-economic gradient. Resilience, COVID-19 literacy and changes in family relations, social interactions, and dietary habits were associated with both flourishing and languishing mental health. Conclusion: Positive mental health of the population worsened during the pandemic, more so in traditionally disadvantaged populations. Public health efforts need to be focused appropriately with an increased emphasis on strengthening resilience and health literacy.