Clinical trial NCT06515704: Mental Health of the Polycrisis Generation
Official title: The Mental Health of Young Adults in Times of Polycrisis
Study type: OBSERVATIONAL
Overall status: RECRUITING
Conditions: Stress
Stress-related Problem
Cumulative Trauma
Mental Health Issue
Mental Stress
Quality of Life
Keywords: cumulative stress
quality of life
mental health
young adults
stress syndrome
resilience
closeness relationships
postformal thinking
personality
development
risk factors
protective factors
Lead sponsor: Jagiellonian University
Sponsor class: OTHER
First posted: 2024-07-23
Enrollment: 600
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 29
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Observational model: COHORT
Time perspective: PROSPECTIVE
Sampling method: PROBABILITY_SAMPLE
Study population: Young adults, Polish representative sample, aged 18-29

Brief summary: 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.

Detailed description: Background: The WHO and other international organizations clearly indicate the co-occurrence of multiple health problems and an increasing trend in the deterioration of mental health among young people. This is related to the experience of cumulative stress, generally referred to as a 'polycrisis', which involves the simultaneous occurrence of crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, displacements and trauma resulting from the war in Ukraine, and climate change.

An additional factor is the stress of daily life and everyday challenges. These latter seem particularly important during the period when an individual faces some of the greatest challenges, such as entering young adulthood and taking on adult roles. However, there is a lack of studies analyzing the risk factors and protective factors that buffer the impact of contemporary cumulative stress on the mental health of young adults in different cultures (including Polish).

Participants: a representative population of 600 Polish young adults, aged 18-29.

Methodology: Analysis of data collected through psychological scales and questionnaires related to daily stress, adaptation to global crises, mental health conditions, quality of life, meeting mature developmental criteria, personality traits, resilience, closeness in relationships, and postformal thinking.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Age between 18 and 29 years
* Standard educational opportunities
* Polish fluent
* Polish nationality

Exclusion Criteria:

* Intellectual disability
* Inability to self-complete the research questionnaires

Primary outcomes:
measure: The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ) - POLI
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Perceived Stress Scale (PPS-10)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Personality Traits (PiCD)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The Markers of Adulthood
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The Resilience Measure Questionnaire (KOP-26)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Closeness to biological mother and father questionnaire
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Closeness to partner/ friend questionnaire
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Daily Problems Test
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-PL)
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
measure: Authors survey
timeFrame: September 01, 2024 until September 30, 2024
Secondary outcomes:
measure: The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ) - POLI
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: Perceived Stress Scale (PPS-10)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: Personality Traits (PiCD)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The Dimensions of Identity Development Scale (DIDS)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The Markers of Adulthood
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The Resilience Measure Questionnaire (KOP-26)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: Closeness to biological mother and father questionnaire
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: Closeness to partner/ friend questionnaire
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: Daily Problems Test
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The Mental Health Continuum-Short Form (MHC-SF)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
measure: The World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL-PL)
timeFrame: September 30, 2025 until October 30, 2025
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Krakow
country: Poland
facility: Behaviour in Crisis Lab, Impact of cumulative stress on the mental health of young people project, Jagiellonian University in Krakow
city: Krakow
country: Poland
facility: Behaviour in Crisis Lab, Jagiellonian University
Study officials:
affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Bernadetta Izydorczyk, Prof
role: STUDY_CHAIR
affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Anna Wendołowska, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Institute of Applied Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Katarzyna Sitnik-Warchulska, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Dorota Czyżowska, Prof.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Aleksandra Gruszka, Prof.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
affiliation: Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University in Krakow, Poland
name: Weronika Kałwak, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Lawrance EL, Jennings N, Kioupi V, Thompson R, Diffey J, Vercammen A. Psychological responses, mental health, and sense of agency for the dual challenges of climate change and the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in the UK: an online survey study. Lancet Planet Health. 2022 Sep;6(9):e726-e738. doi: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00172-3.
citation: Kauhanen L, Wan Mohd Yunus WMA, Lempinen L, Peltonen K, Gyllenberg D, Mishina K, Gilbert S, Bastola K, Brown JSL, Sourander A. A systematic review of the mental health changes of children and young people before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2023 Jun;32(6):995-1013. doi: 10.1007/s00787-022-02060-0. Epub 2022 Aug 12.
citation: Lloyd K, Schubotz D, Roche R, Manzi J, McKnight M. A Mental Health Pandemic? Assessing the Impact of COVID-19 on Young People's Mental Health. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Aug 9;20(16):6550. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20166550.