Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
The Child and Youth Planning Table of Waterloo Region, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
J Community Psychol. 2024 Aug;52(6):720-738. doi: 10.1002/jcop.23125. Epub 2024 Jun 6.
Research has linked broad societal changes related to the COVID-19 pandemic and poorer mental health in young people. There remains a pressing need for studies examining the factors that are associated with better mental health and well-being. The current study addresses this gap using a community-based survey called the Waterloo Region Youth Impact Survey. It was designed in partnership with local youth and the Canadian Index of Well-Being in accordance with United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund guidelines. Using a convenience sampling methodology, this survey was developed to explore the domains, rates, and correlates of well-being and mental health among youth during the pandemic (N = 297). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to identify dimensions related to children's social environment (friends, school, family), sense of belonging, mental health, and well-being. Subsequently, a mediation model was tested. The relationship between children's environments and mental health and well-being operated via perceived sense of belonging. Findings shed light on patterns of youth mental health and well-being during the pandemic, illustrating the role of belonging as a promotive factor with public health relevance.
研究表明，与 COVID-19 大流行相关的广泛社会变化与年轻人心理健康状况恶化有关。仍然迫切需要研究与更好的心理健康和幸福感相关的因素。本研究使用名为“滑铁卢地区青年影响调查”的基于社区的调查来填补这一空白。该调查是与当地青年和加拿大幸福感指数合作根据联合国儿童基金会的指导方针设计的。该调查采用便利抽样方法，旨在探索大流行期间青年的幸福感和心理健康的领域、比率和相关性（N=297）。验证性因素分析用于确定与儿童社会环境（朋友、学校、家庭）、归属感、心理健康和幸福感相关的维度。随后，测试了一个中介模型。儿童环境与心理健康和幸福感之间的关系是通过感知到的归属感来运作的。研究结果揭示了大流行期间青年心理健康和幸福感的模式，说明了归属感作为一个具有公共卫生相关性的促进因素的作用。
