COVID-19 and Well-being: Life in the Pandemic explores the immediate implications of the pandemic for people’s lives and livelihoods in OECD countries. The report charts the course of well-being – from jobs and incomes through to social connections, health, work-life balance, safety and more – using data collected during the first 12-15 months of the pandemic.

This volume addresses important questions related to the well-being and quality of life of emerging adults during crisis periods. It discusses the particular challenges that emerging adults face during a global or local crisis, the psychosocial resources they mobilize to overcome them and to flourish, the well-being indicators pertinent to youth development across various life domains, and the strategies to promote positive youth development and well-being under conditions of crisis. The volume examines these questions from an international and interdisciplinary point of view, collecting contributions mainly from psychology, but also education, economics, and sociology. It includes novel quantitative and qualitative research, intervention studies, critical reviews, and conceptual chapters. This makes it an essential read for scholars of positive development in emerging adulthood under crisis, as well as a relevant and accessible source of information for discerning lay readers. The specific focus of the majority of contributions on the Covid-19 pandemic makes this volume highly topical. Its focus on both well-being dimensions and problems related to crises offers a deeper understanding of the cultural similarities and differences in individual and collective challenges and resources across world regions. The volume investigates various facets of well-being, including daily experiences, relationships, purpose and growth, learning activities, and achievements. Evidence derived from the contributions to this volume can prove valuable for handling future crises through targeted interventions and programmes in different contexts and life domains.

This open access book focuses on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being, happiness and quality of life, taking into account the mediating effects of social inequalities. The volume brings together and into dialogue the different experiences and perspectives of countries and researchers from the Global North and South. Expert scholars from across the world have analyzed empirical data to reveal how the restrictions associated with the pandemic interrupted lives and livelihoods, and how different socio-economic groups and classes have been differently affected by the crisis. The chapters coalesce around four themes: the impact of COVID-19 on subjective well-being, life satisfaction and happiness in a comparative and longitudinal perspective; the impact of COVID-19 on employment and workers’ well-being; sociability, civic participation and solidarity during COVID-19; and the impact of COVID-19 on children’s and youths’ well-being. Engaging with contemporary theoretical debates on well-being, happiness and quality of life, this volume is of interest to scholars working on well-being, happiness and quality of life, global and cross-national studies, the social impact of COVID-19, and on social and economic change.

The world was turned upside down March 2020 by a virus no one expected to turn into a global pandemic. While millions experienced loss and disruption of life, the pandemic put lives on pause, making the nation turn inward to question the life Americans were living pre-pandemic and examine who and what really mattered in this time of financial, emotional, and interpersonal upheaval. Depression, anxiety, violence, substance abuse, and mental health illnesses soared in what became a mental health pandemic. Children lost parents, millions lost jobs, and thousands of teachers and health and wellness professionals abandoned their fields. This has been a tremendous time of reflection on how to be better to ourselves, and to humanity as a whole. What can we learn from this global disruption and how can we become better humans? To start, we can’t look away anymore. The suffering is vast, and the stakes are high. The voices of the pandemic have insightful lessons to teach each and every one of us. It’s time to silence our distractions, listen, and create transformative, sustainable strategies that prioritize the health and wellbeing of humanity.

Covid-19 changed the lives of millions of people around the world. The effects of the global pandemic on the physical and psychological health of individuals, as well as on their behavioral habits, relationships, and the way they communicate, do not seem to be only short- or medium-term, but, on the contrary, appear to be long-lasting. In the same way that it is possible to use the term “long-covid” to refer to the long-term effects on the physical health of individuals who have contracted the virus, so we think it is possible to use the expression 'psychological long-covid' to indicate the long-term effects on the psychological health of individuals, not only of those who have been infected, but more generally of all those who have had to cope with social restrictions, lockdowns, distancing, remote work and learning, etc. imposed by the pandemic. At the same time, many people demonstrated resilience, as the capacity to cope with adverse events through positive adaptation.