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The Link between Subjective Religiosity, Social Support, and Mental Health among Young Students in Eastern Europe during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Poland and Ukraine

Author

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  • Piotr Długosz

    (Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, 30-084 Krakow, Poland)

  • Damian Liszka

    (Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Pedagogical University of Krakow, 30-084 Krakow, Poland)

  • Luydmila Yuzva

    (Department of Sociology, Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, 01033 Kyiv, Ukraine)

Abstract

Religiousness has a positive effect on the mental health of an individual and social groups in many difficult situations. In the conducted research, we wanted to check, inter alia, whether religiosity and social support are positively related to the mental health of students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland and Ukraine. The research was conducted at a time (August 2021) when the very contagious Delta variant was spreading over Europe, and numerous pandemic-related personal restrictions and obligations (such as using facemasks in selected places, social distancing, and obligatory self-isolation of the ill or those who had contact with the pathogen) were in force in both countries. For this purpose, a representative survey was carried out using the CAPI technique on a sample of 1000 students in Poland (50% boys and 50% girls in the age range 10–19) and 1022 in Ukraine (51% boys and 49% girls in the age range 10–18). The results of the research shows that depression measured by the PHQ-9 scale was experienced by 20% of students in Poland, and 13% in Ukrainian. Anxiety, measured with the GAD-7 scale, was experienced by 9% of the Polish and 6% of the Ukrainian students. The performed regression analysis showed that religiosity had no effect on the mental health of students. The main risk factor for mental disorders was the lack of social support.

Suggested Citation

  • Piotr Długosz & Damian Liszka & Luydmila Yuzva, 2022. "The Link between Subjective Religiosity, Social Support, and Mental Health among Young Students in Eastern Europe during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Poland and Ukraine," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(11), pages 1-14, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:11:p:6446-:d:824340
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Adam Cohen, 2002. "The Importance of Spirituality in Well-Being for Jews and Christians," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 3(3), pages 287-310, September.
    2. Tang, Xinfeng & Tang, Suqin & Ren, Zhihong & Wong, Daniel Fu Keung, 2020. "Psychological risk and protective factors associated with depressive symptoms among adolescents in secondary schools in China: A systematic review and meta-analysis," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 108(C).
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