Mental Health of the Polycrisis Generation

The goal of this observational, longitudinal study is to identify risk and protective factors that buffer the effects of individual daily stress and adaptation to global crises on the quality of life and mental health conditions of young people entering adulthood (aged 18-29, fluent in Polish, and living in Poland). Moderators such as factors related to development, personality variables compatible with the domains according to ICD-11, psychological resilience, closeness in relationships with a partner/friends/parents, and the level of postformal thinking will also be considered. The main hypotheses it aims to consider are: H1: Poorer adaptation to individual and global crises is associated with higher levels of perceived stress, leading to worse indicators of mental health and quality of life. H2: A higher level of implementation of developmental tasks, including more fulfilled criteria of adulthood and a mature identity, mitigates the relationship between stress/ crisis adaptation and health and quality of life indicators. H3: Resilience and better relationships (closeness with a partner/ friends/ parents) buffer the negative effect of stress on health and quality of life. H4: A higher level of postformal thinking mitigates the relationship between stress/ crisis adaptation and health and quality of life indicators. H5: A higher intensity of psychopathological personality traits is a risk factor that amplifies the negative effect of stress on health and quality of life. Researchers will analyze measurements taken from the same group (a representative sample of Polish young adults) at two time points - now and in 12 months. The aim is to observe the extent to which the effects of current daily stressors and adaptation to the crisis, as well as the effects of potential moderators, are relatively stable.