This study examined how resilience and optimism were related to psychological well-being among older European adults during the early pandemic. The study used data sampled from the Eurofound COVID-19 survey conducted in 27 European countries during the first lockdown (April 2020). The study sample included 10,674 older adults (mean age = 69.71 ± 5.15, 68.6% women, 87.3% retired). Using structural equation modeling, the relationship between pandemic adversities, resilience, optimism, and well-being was investigated. Results indicated that resilience and optimism in part mediated the association between adversities and psychological well-being. Resilience and optimism have the potential to help older adults cope with stressful life events and other adversities. Future studies should more precisely explore the role of resilience and optimism, its formation, and the protective mechanisms that promote the psychological well-being of older adults.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, Europe, adversity, psychological resources,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• kontrola infekčních nemocí MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• optimismus MeSH
• pandemie MeSH
• psychická odolnost * MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• mužské pohlaví MeSH
• senioři MeSH
• ženské pohlaví MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The mental health of young adults, particularly students, is at high risk during the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in mental health between university students in nine countries during the pandemic. The study encompassed 2349 university students (69% female) from Colombia, the Czech Republic (Czechia), Germany, Israel, Poland, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey, and Ukraine. Participants underwent the following tests: Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-8), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Exposure to COVID-19 (EC-19), Perceived Impact of Coronavirus (PIC) on students' well-being, Physical Activity (PA), and General Self-Reported Health (GSRH). The one-way ANOVA showed significant differences between countries. The highest depression and anxiety risk occurred in Turkey, the lowest depression in the Czech Republic and the lowest anxiety in Germany. The χ2 independence test showed that EC-19, PIC, and GSRH were associated with anxiety and depression in most of the countries, whereas PA was associated in less than half of the countries. Logistic regression showed distinct risk factors for each country. Gender and EC-19 were the most frequent predictors of depression and anxiety across the countries. The role of gender and PA for depression and anxiety is not universal and depends on cross-cultural differences. Students' mental health should be addressed from a cross-cultural perspective.

• Klíčová slova
• COVID-19, anxiety, cross-national study, depression, gender, general self-reported health, mental health, physical activity, students,
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH