Researchers of the Centre for Childhood and Youth Research (CCY) at the University of Luxembourg have investigated young people’s perspectives on the COVID-19 pandemic.
In an article for the weekly newspaper Lëtzebuerger Land (published on 6 May, 2022), the authors Andreas Heinen, Dr. Caroline Residori and Prof. Dr. Robin Samuel describe how young people in Luxembourg look at the COVID-19 pandemic and their future.
Based on scientific findings from recent youth studies conducted at the University of Luxembourg, the researchers point out that medium and long-term effects of the pandemic need to be further monitored in order to avoid negative impacts on society.
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Preventing negative impacts on society
In their article The Big Aftermath (“Das große Danach“), the authors succeed in taking a snapshot of the situation of young people in Luxembourg a little more than two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic may have faded into the background of public awareness, but the traces and consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic are still visible among young people here in Luxembourg:
Significantly fewer young people were dissatisfied with their lives before the pandemic. Being asked what area of life the pandemic had impacted most negatively, young people mentioned their own mental health. Thus, the article points to a dynamic that should not disappear from social and political discourse despite the fact that the pandemic situation is subsiding. This is the only way to prevent negative effects on society.
Beyond the Pandemic? Why it is worth reading the article
The article breaks down what concerns young people in Luxembourg have concerning the pandemic and the associated containment measures, and how this influences their own view of the future.
Despite its scientific nature, the article is written in a fluid and easy-to-understand manner. (Provided you read German). The print edition includes data visualizations by the researchers, as well as quotes from individual young people.
These charts provide a good overview of the respondents’ statements and views, especially with regard to their life satisfaction and mental health. Since the online version of the article does not include the graphs, they are provided here:
Which are the underlying studies?
The article is based on the results of studies carried out at the Centre for Childhood and Youth Research (CCY) at the University of Luxembourg on health and well-being. It is based on data from the 2019 Youth Survey Luxembourg (YSL) and two waves (2020 and 2021) of the Young People and COVID-19.
Findings from the National Report on the Situation of Youth in Luxembourg 2020 were also considered. That report is specifically dedicated to the well-being and health of young people in Luxembourg.
