The Impact of the Coronavirus on the Life Trajectories of Young People and the Emotional Consequences. A Comparative Analysis in Five European Countries

The study investigates the emotional impact on young people in five countries resulting from the choice to postpone the implementation of some resolutions concerning work and family due to the Pandemic. A quantitative analysis is proposed based on an online survey carried out in the period April- May 2020 on 6,000 young people aged 18-34 from 5 European countries (Italy, Spain, UK, France and Germany). The questions refer to different life markers: leaving the family of origin, cohabitation, marriage, the choice of having a child, looking for a job or changing the current job, changing house and city. Compared to other countries, young Italians show higher levels of renunciation of planned projects and high negative moods. The intensity of negative moods (frustration, anxiety, discomfort, disorientation...) increases, passing from those who do not have any short-term change plans, to those who have them and intend to carry them out as planned, to those who have had to temporally review their programs to those who have abandoned them. The results of a multiple regression show the significant effects of country of residence, education, employment status and relationship status on negative emotional states.