Young Adults Coping With COVID-19 Flashcards
Mental health and COVID - anxiety disorders and depression
◦ Anxiety disorders and depression - generally higher rates among those with poor physical health
‣ Primarily effected the mental health of younger individuals. During and after COVID a wide variety of individuals and adults have reported anxiety and or depression
Other mental health issues associated with COVID
‣ Suicide
• Death by suicide largely increased
‣ Alcohol and substance abuse
• These rates have come down a little but are still not where they used to be. Part of this is because the opioid issue is still going on
‣ Sleep disturbances
• Sometimes people will have very vivid memorable COVID dreams.
• Especially problematic in older individuals
‣ Changes in eating patterns
• Some people were not eating healthy.
• Some people were not exercising enough, or were hyper exercising and doing too much
• During COVID more young adults were worried about having something to eat, and having more financial hits.
COVID amplifying racial and ethnic minorities
• People in minority groups more likely to live in crowded areas, still being exposed to COVID under the likelihood of being a essential worker
COVID amplifying the disparity of parents of young children
• May be stuck in house with young children for long periods of time, or have fights over the best internet spot.
• Can be really hard for parents to get work done
COVID amplifying he disparity of workers
‣ Low-skilled workers
‣ Essential workers
• Nurses, security at high need locations, etc. always have the fear of not bringing things in, and living on the other side of the house.
‣ Younger workers
• Take on more financial hits, and have less earning than older adults did
Results of early studies on young adults
(ages 18-39)
‣ Least likely to suffer serious physical outcomes from the virus
‣ Most likely to struggle mentally and emotionally
Possible reasons for coping problems of young adults
‣ More likely to be living alone
‣ Social media contagion
• More likely to spend more and more time and fall down the rabbit hole of horror stories, etc.
‣ Reduces stress for reporting difficulties
• Compared to other generations we are more likely to seek help, admit we are struggling, or saying you are going to see a counselor than a generation before COVID. We are much more willing to do these things.
Loneliness with COVID
‣ State-traits loneliness
• State - Lonely at specific times, or not being in a relationship and it being around Valentine’s Day
• Trait - that even if you are in a crowd you feel lonely. Missing the presence of others.
◦ During COVID both forms of these were boosted since many were alone.
‣ Fear of missing out
• The fear that something is going on that they are not a part of, adolescents and young adults tend to experience this the most
‣ Evolutionary model
• Risk taking
◦ If you only hang out with the same small groups, or only with family It will effect this. you need to take risks; maybe move away from your parents, go do something stupid, or just get out of your comfort zone
◦ The theory that the stakes of not going out are bigger.
• Mate selection
◦ The need to go out is not as strong in people who have mates.
Positive signs of risk taking
- reduced stigma
- focus on self-care and acceptance
- social media support
Cautions about the research into breaking down the generations
‣ Cautions about the research
• Demographic/sociological work, not psychology
• age cut-offs are problematic
◦ If you are born one day to early or late you may a different generation
• Research tends to over-sample middle class white people
◦ You see that the research comes form super wealthy areas in Virginia. A focus on very upper-middle class, which does not tell us much of anything about people in other classes
• Tends to encourage stereotyping
◦ People will often make fun and say things, but very few people fit the stereotypes
• Often mistakes historical changes with personality characteristics
◦ An example is saying that the greatest generation is the one that went off to war. However, we shouldn’t say this, we respect them, but we never know if other generations were faced with this it they would do it as well
The silent generation
◦ Historical events: Korean and Vietnam wars
◦ Common traits:
‣ Conformity
‣ Delayed rewards and hard work
‣ Respect for authority and patriotism
• Not everyone had this, many would portray this but not all. Most people would do good, but some would try to avoid serving the country.
◦ Common worries
‣ Money
‣ Change
• None of them like change and the world is “going to hell in a hand basket”
◦ Reaction to COVID:
‣ Only 5% say they are not coping well
• Most of them could care more about visitors than actually getting sick
‣ At a very high risk for death from COVID
The baby boomers generation
◦ Historical events: Counter-culture of the 1960s
‣ The ones protesting the Vietnam war, and getting high and drunk
◦ Common traits:
‣ Personal gratification and optimism
• The group that got free college, and out of most generations had the most worth and value.
‣ Anti-government
• Don’t want to serve, but want government security and healthcare.
‣ Spend now, worry later
◦ Common worries:
‣ Limited to freedom or of self
◦ Reaction to COVID:
‣ Only 12% said they are not coping well
• Many were still at a very high risk like the silent generation
‣ High risk of death form COVID but may also be COVID deniers
• Some of them will be people who claim it does not exist
The Gen x generation
◦ Historical events: watergate, working moms
‣ Often considered the forgotten generation
‣ The generation where often kids would come home from school to a empty house
◦ Common traits:
‣ independent and self-reliant
• Know how to show up at home and fend for themselves
‣ Cynical and distrust of authority
• Why does authority want to know me, why are they here? Adult authority and approval was not very important
‣ Global focus
◦ Common worries:
‣ Inheriting a mess
◦ Reaction to COVID
‣ Left out of the study comparing generations
• In the studies done the Gen x generation was left out of studies across the world. This generation was known to have gotten away with a lot of things
‣ Relatively high risk for death form COVID but primarily worried about their parents
• Primarily focusing on trying to keep their parents and kids alive during COVID, not worrying too much about keeping ourselves alive.
The millennial generation
◦ Historical events: 9/11, housing bubble
◦ Common traits:
‣ Confident and “narcissistic”
• The selfie era and blogging
‣ Consumeristic
‣ Group-focused and involved
• The email signatures part starting
◦ Common worries: their mental health
◦ Reaction to COVID:
‣ 24% say they are not coping well
‣ At a low risk for death from COVID primarily stressed at caring for children
The gen z generation
◦ Historical events: school shootings, COVID
◦ Common traits:
‣ Care about diversity
‣ Focused on careers that make money
‣ Social media natives
• Just because we are good with social media does not make us good at technology
◦ Common worries:
‣ Their futures
◦ Reaction to COVID:
‣ 24% say they are not coping well
‣ At a low risk for death from COVID so many are not taking the necessary precautions and put others at risk
