One wave or another in the pandemic: psychological well-being during the third COVID-19 wave

Abstract

Background After a year from the emergence of COVID-19 in February 2020, between March and May 2021 Italy faced its third wave of infections. Previous studies have shown that in the first phases of the pandemic certain factors had a protective effect against distress. However, little is known regarding the role of possible protective variables after prolonged pandemic situa-tions. Material and methods 454 Italian adults were asked questions regarding the intensity of mental states and emotions experienced, the perceived usefulness of lockdown, the feeling of living a normal life, and the coping strategies implemented to face the pandemic. Results Our findings indicate that the presence of acceptance attitudes toward restrictive measures and the implementation of rec-reational activities helped participants face a prolonged pandemic with positive emotions. Conclusions These results extend previous findings about the impact of several behavioral variables on individuals’ mental states and emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.

Keywords

• covid-19
• lockdown
• psychological well-being
• emotions
• lockdown
• psychological well-being
• emotions