Did the mental health and well-being of young people increase after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period? A cross-sectional multicentre study in Austria and Turkey

• Published in: Current psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) N.J.), 2024-01, Vol.43 (2), p.1221-1234
• Main Authors: Özlü-Erkilic, Zeliha, Kothgassner, Oswald D., Wenzel, Thomas, Goreis, Andreas, Chen, Anthony, Ceri, Veysi, Mousawi, Aylin Fakhr, Akkaya-Kalayci, Türkan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Behavioral Science and Psychology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19 vaccines; Immunization; Mental health; Pandemics; Psychology; Social Sciences
• ISSN: 1046-1310; 1936-4733
• DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04366-x

In 2019, the global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and associated prevention measures affected the mental health and psychological well-being of young people with and without a migratory background. The present study aimed to compare the mental health and psychological well-being of migrant and non-migrant young people before and after the COVID-19 vaccination campaign period in two countries which had different policies to deal with the pandemic. The “Psychological General Well-being” of young people and their experiences during the pandemic were investigated using an anonymous online survey during two pandemic waves before the vaccination campaign and 6 months after its start. A majority of the 6154 participants (aged between 15 and 25 years in all study groups) reported a decrease of mental health from the time period before the vaccination (BV) to after the vaccination (AV) campaign ( b  = 0.27, p