Browsing by Author "Pinto, Marta Vasconcelos"
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- Current impact of COVID-19 on mental health and wellbeing: young adults' perspectivePublication . Andrade, Graça; Luís, Tamara; Santos, Margarida; Grilo, Ana; Pinto, Marta Vasconcelos; Rodrigues, Matilde A.; Almeida-Silva, MarinaThe European Commission referred to the COVID generation and highlighted an increase of 25% in the number of mental illness problems in adolescents and young people, related to COVID-19 and associated lockdown measures. A critical review of longitudinal studies about the impact of COVID-19 on youth mental health points out the increase in: externalized disorders; suicide ideation and attempts; frequency and problematic use of substances in some higher-risk youth; disordered eating symptomatology. Aims of the study: to understand how young adults perceive short and long-term consequences (positive and negative) of the pandemic on their mental health and psychological well-being; to relate the individual characteristics relevant to psychological adaptation to the pandemic with positive and negative perceptions of pandemic consequences.
- Preventive behaviors among higher education students in response to COVID-19: the role of risk perceptionPublication . Peralta, Catarina; Silva, Manuela V.; Dores, Artemisa R.; Silva, Marina Almeida; Pinto, Marta Vasconcelos; Ramos, Delfina; Rodrigues, Matilde A.In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher education institutions adopted a set of measures to ensure safe face-to-face teaching and to control potential outbreaks. However, the effectiveness of the implemented measures is dependent on the behavior of students, who are generally young, often displaced, living with other colleagues, and constantly seeking physical contact, which makes their behavior outside the institution also of particular relevance to controlling the pandemic. An online questionnaire was developed and applied to characterize the behaviors adopted by students inside and outside the higher education institution, as well as risk perception based on the health belief model (HBM) and unrealistic optimism, with the participation of 620 students from three Portuguese higher education institutions. The adoption of safe behaviors is related to a greater perception of the benefits and the severity of COVID-19. Unrealistic optimism also harms preventive behaviors. The behaviors least adopted by students concerning potential exposure to COVID-19 were disinfecting hands and equipment after use, as well as physical distancing from colleagues. Regarding behaviors adopted outside the institution, it was found that students did not avoid physical contact with colleagues and family members. These findings contribute to our understanding of student behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic, help institutions understand if the applied strategies were effective or not, and denote the need to reinforce or improve the implemented strategies.