Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia

Dunja Juric Vukelic; Lovorka Brajkovic; Vanja Kopilas

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia

Dunja Juric Vukelic, Lovorka Brajkovic, Vanja Kopilas

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 11, Issue 2)

Received: 28 March 2022 Accepted: 12 April 2022 Published: 20 April 2022

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Abstract

Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, research around the world has found that psychophysical health has been affected: elevated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and trauma due to social isolation, economic instability, and restrictions on previously common daily activities. In the world population, loneliness is continuously increasing, as well as economic stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020., Croatia was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in which thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the coronavirus pandemic and earthquake on mental health, life satisfaction, psychological resilience and social support, and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in adults in Croatia. The study involved 562 participants from all counties in Croatia, who voluntarily entered study that consisted of: Questionnaire for testing general psychopathological difficulties CORE-OM, Short Resilience Scale, Short Mental Health Questionnaire, Social support scale and Life satisfaction measured in one particle. Research has shown a high level of psychopathological symptoms and a low level of mental health. Participants rated social support as high. Lower levels of mental health and lower life satisfaction were associated with a higher degree of pandemic and earthquake impact on life, and a higher degree of pandemic impact on life correlated with severity of psychopathological difficulties. Participants were asked two open-ended questions. One was about the most difficult for them during the pandemic and lockdown, and other one was asking what made the pandemic and lockdown period easier for them. The most significant stressors were social isolation, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of infection, challenges, and limitations of working from home and online classes, loosing job threats and financial insecurity, and excessive exposure to information about the pandemic, and protective factors include family and social support. The level of psychological difficulties confirmed by this research is worrying and indicates the need to develop effective ways to actively deal with the pandemic and all its implications on life.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 11, Issue 2)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
Page(s)	62-69
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Mental Health, Life Satisfaction, Resilience, Social Support, COVID-19, Earthquake

References

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Dunja Juric Vukelic, Lovorka Brajkovic, Vanja Kopilas. (2022). Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 11(2), 62-69. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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Dunja Juric Vukelic; Lovorka Brajkovic; Vanja Kopilas. Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2022, 11(2), 62-69. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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Dunja Juric Vukelic, Lovorka Brajkovic, Vanja Kopilas. Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. Am J Appl Psychol. 2022;11(2):62-69. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13,
  author = {Dunja Juric Vukelic and Lovorka Brajkovic and Vanja Kopilas},
  title = {Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {11},
  number = {2},
  pages = {62-69},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20221102.13},
  abstract = {Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, research around the world has found that psychophysical health has been affected: elevated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and trauma due to social isolation, economic instability, and restrictions on previously common daily activities. In the world population, loneliness is continuously increasing, as well as economic stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020., Croatia was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in which thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the coronavirus pandemic and earthquake on mental health, life satisfaction, psychological resilience and social support, and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in adults in Croatia. The study involved 562 participants from all counties in Croatia, who voluntarily entered study that consisted of: Questionnaire for testing general psychopathological difficulties CORE-OM, Short Resilience Scale, Short Mental Health Questionnaire, Social support scale and Life satisfaction measured in one particle. Research has shown a high level of psychopathological symptoms and a low level of mental health. Participants rated social support as high. Lower levels of mental health and lower life satisfaction were associated with a higher degree of pandemic and earthquake impact on life, and a higher degree of pandemic impact on life correlated with severity of psychopathological difficulties. Participants were asked two open-ended questions. One was about the most difficult for them during the pandemic and lockdown, and other one was asking what made the pandemic and lockdown period easier for them. The most significant stressors were social isolation, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of infection, challenges, and limitations of working from home and online classes, loosing job threats and financial insecurity, and excessive exposure to information about the pandemic, and protective factors include family and social support. The level of psychological difficulties confirmed by this research is worrying and indicates the need to develop effective ways to actively deal with the pandemic and all its implications on life.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia
AU  - Dunja Juric Vukelic
AU  - Lovorka Brajkovic
AU  - Vanja Kopilas
Y1  - 2022/04/20
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 62
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PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
AB  - Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, research around the world has found that psychophysical health has been affected: elevated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and trauma due to social isolation, economic instability, and restrictions on previously common daily activities. In the world population, loneliness is continuously increasing, as well as economic stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020., Croatia was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in which thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the coronavirus pandemic and earthquake on mental health, life satisfaction, psychological resilience and social support, and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in adults in Croatia. The study involved 562 participants from all counties in Croatia, who voluntarily entered study that consisted of: Questionnaire for testing general psychopathological difficulties CORE-OM, Short Resilience Scale, Short Mental Health Questionnaire, Social support scale and Life satisfaction measured in one particle. Research has shown a high level of psychopathological symptoms and a low level of mental health. Participants rated social support as high. Lower levels of mental health and lower life satisfaction were associated with a higher degree of pandemic and earthquake impact on life, and a higher degree of pandemic impact on life correlated with severity of psychopathological difficulties. Participants were asked two open-ended questions. One was about the most difficult for them during the pandemic and lockdown, and other one was asking what made the pandemic and lockdown period easier for them. The most significant stressors were social isolation, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of infection, challenges, and limitations of working from home and online classes, loosing job threats and financial insecurity, and excessive exposure to information about the pandemic, and protective factors include family and social support. The level of psychological difficulties confirmed by this research is worrying and indicates the need to develop effective ways to actively deal with the pandemic and all its implications on life.
VL  - 11
IS  - 2
ER  -

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Author Information

Dunja Juric Vukelic

Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Lovorka Brajkovic

Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Vanja Kopilas

Faculty of Croatian Studies, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

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Dunja Juric Vukelic, Lovorka Brajkovic, Vanja Kopilas. (2022). Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 11(2), 62-69. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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ACS Style

Dunja Juric Vukelic; Lovorka Brajkovic; Vanja Kopilas. Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2022, 11(2), 62-69. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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AMA Style

Dunja Juric Vukelic, Lovorka Brajkovic, Vanja Kopilas. Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia. Am J Appl Psychol. 2022;11(2):62-69. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13,
  author = {Dunja Juric Vukelic and Lovorka Brajkovic and Vanja Kopilas},
  title = {Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {11},
  number = {2},
  pages = {62-69},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20221102.13},
  abstract = {Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, research around the world has found that psychophysical health has been affected: elevated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and trauma due to social isolation, economic instability, and restrictions on previously common daily activities. In the world population, loneliness is continuously increasing, as well as economic stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020., Croatia was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in which thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the coronavirus pandemic and earthquake on mental health, life satisfaction, psychological resilience and social support, and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in adults in Croatia. The study involved 562 participants from all counties in Croatia, who voluntarily entered study that consisted of: Questionnaire for testing general psychopathological difficulties CORE-OM, Short Resilience Scale, Short Mental Health Questionnaire, Social support scale and Life satisfaction measured in one particle. Research has shown a high level of psychopathological symptoms and a low level of mental health. Participants rated social support as high. Lower levels of mental health and lower life satisfaction were associated with a higher degree of pandemic and earthquake impact on life, and a higher degree of pandemic impact on life correlated with severity of psychopathological difficulties. Participants were asked two open-ended questions. One was about the most difficult for them during the pandemic and lockdown, and other one was asking what made the pandemic and lockdown period easier for them. The most significant stressors were social isolation, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of infection, challenges, and limitations of working from home and online classes, loosing job threats and financial insecurity, and excessive exposure to information about the pandemic, and protective factors include family and social support. The level of psychological difficulties confirmed by this research is worrying and indicates the need to develop effective ways to actively deal with the pandemic and all its implications on life.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic and Earthquake on the Mental Health of Adults in Croatia
AU  - Dunja Juric Vukelic
AU  - Lovorka Brajkovic
AU  - Vanja Kopilas
Y1  - 2022/04/20
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 62
EP  - 69
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20221102.13
AB  - Since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, research around the world has found that psychophysical health has been affected: elevated levels of depression, anxiety, stress and trauma due to social isolation, economic instability, and restrictions on previously common daily activities. In the world population, loneliness is continuously increasing, as well as economic stressors. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020., Croatia was hit by a series of devastating earthquakes in which thousands of people were temporarily or permanently homeless. The aim of this study was to examine the role of the coronavirus pandemic and earthquake on mental health, life satisfaction, psychological resilience and social support, and the severity of psychopathological symptoms in adults in Croatia. The study involved 562 participants from all counties in Croatia, who voluntarily entered study that consisted of: Questionnaire for testing general psychopathological difficulties CORE-OM, Short Resilience Scale, Short Mental Health Questionnaire, Social support scale and Life satisfaction measured in one particle. Research has shown a high level of psychopathological symptoms and a low level of mental health. Participants rated social support as high. Lower levels of mental health and lower life satisfaction were associated with a higher degree of pandemic and earthquake impact on life, and a higher degree of pandemic impact on life correlated with severity of psychopathological difficulties. Participants were asked two open-ended questions. One was about the most difficult for them during the pandemic and lockdown, and other one was asking what made the pandemic and lockdown period easier for them. The most significant stressors were social isolation, uncertainty, anxiety, fear of infection, challenges, and limitations of working from home and online classes, loosing job threats and financial insecurity, and excessive exposure to information about the pandemic, and protective factors include family and social support. The level of psychological difficulties confirmed by this research is worrying and indicates the need to develop effective ways to actively deal with the pandemic and all its implications on life.
VL  - 11
IS  - 2
ER  -

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