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Emotions, social support and positive resources during
Covid-19 pandemic:
A qualitative-quantitative survey among italian adolescents
Giulia Perasso°, Grazia Serantoni°, Carmela Lillo°,
Alessandro Maculan*, Patrizio Paoletti°, Tania Di Giuseppe°
° Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti,
e-mail: g.perasso@fondazionepatriziopaoletti.org;
e-mail: grazia.serantoni@gmail.com;
e-mail: c.lillo@fondazionepatriziopaoletti.org;
e-mail: patrizio@patriziopaoletti.it;
e-mail: t.digiuseppe@fondazionepatriziopaoletti.org.
* Università di Padova,
Department of Philosophy, Sociology,
Education and Applied Psychology (FISPPA)
e-mail: alessandro.maculan@unipd.it.
Ricevuto: 22.11.2022 - Accettato: 24.07.2023
Pubblicato online: 11.10.2023
Abstract
Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on adolescents. The present study
illustrates an online survey administered to N = 861 Italian adolescents (mean
age = 15.81 years; females 58%), asking them about: (i) the most frequent
negative emotions during the pandemic; (ii) the main sources of social support;
(iii) whether they had also experienced positive emotions; (iv) in which life-
domains they had experienced positive emotions. The results reveal that
adolescents experienced boredom, sadness, fear, and agitation as negative
emotions. The respondents reported family, friends and themselves as sources of
social support. The main life-domains in which adolescents experienced positive
emotions were: new discoveries in self-awareness, inner growth, relational
skills. This study highlights that the pandemic has elicited positive resources
(e.g., resilience, creativity and generativity) in adolescents, laying the
foundations for interventions, in developmental and educational psychology,
that are not top-down but bottom-up.
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Giulia Perasso et al. / Ricerche di Psicologia, 2023, Vol. 46
ISSN 0391-6081, ISSNe 1972-5620, Doi:10.3280/rip2023oa16630
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Keywords: Covid-19; adolescence; positive emotions; negative emotions;
social support; survey
Introduction
The occurrence of stress and anxiety significantly rose as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic (Yao et al., 2020). On a global scale, between
January 2020 and January 2021, there was a 27% increase in depressive
disorders and a 25% increase in anxiety disorders (Santomauro et al.,
2021). Given that adolescence is a crucial period in the emotional, social
and identity development of the individual (Crone & Dahl, 2012;
Blakemore & Mills, 2014), the COVID-19 pandemic has threatened
adolescents’ growth process, forcing them to face changes in their daily
lives such as distance learning, limited social contact with peers, and
being forced to stay at home for extended periods (Green et al., 2021). A
study on the analysis of adolescentsʼ drawings by Tishelman et al.
(2022) shows that adolescents suddenly found themselves living in a
dystopian scenario, where their routines were disrupted, and loneliness
and predominantly negative emotions took hold. Pandemic had a short-
and long-term impact on the lives of an entire generation of adolescents
in terms of negative emotions on a clinical level (e.g., spreading
emotional problems such as depression, anxiety, panic, mood
fluctuations) (Amorós-Reche et al., 2022), corroborated by data collected
from the perspective of the parents (Babore et al., 2022).
Over the past two years, scientific research has attempted to delineate
the severity and direction of Covid-19 pandemic’s impact on
adolescents. The first pandemic wave increased negative emotions in
children and adolescents, given the exposure to stressors such as distance
learning and increased time spent – obligatorily – with the family (Green
et al., 2021). According to Rathgeb et al. (2022), the impact of the
pandemic on the level of negative emotions was correlated with age:
adolescents suffered more than children. Von Soest et al. (2022)
emphasised a decline in optimism and expectations for the future in
adolescents, in line with the decline in positive emotions and life
satisfaction reported by Shoshani and Kor (2021) and the decrease in
perceived happiness documented by Evli and Şimşek (2022).
Another negative aspect, on which many studies have focused, is the
massive use of the Internet and social media during the pandemic: given
an increase in the screen-time (Evli & Şimşek, 2022), for many children
and adolescents, social media represented a means of keeping in touch
with peers, maturing appreciation and gratitude towards this form of
technology (Maheux et al., 2021). However, studies by Cauberghe et al.
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(2021) and Velez et al. (2022) have indicated that social networks cannot
really make up for the absence of a face-to-face exchange with peers and
in-person experiences, which are fundamental to psychosocial
development. Internet use, therefore, should be considered both a coping
response during the emergency, but also a risk factor for Internet
addiction in the developmental age (Evli & Şimşek, 2022).
Research has also shown that adversity can lead individuals to
catalyze their resources. This consists in the development of abilities and
resources, benefits, and growth opportunities, related to the pandemic
experience (Paoletti et al., 2022a; Bhattacharya et al., 2022). Silk et al.
(2022), analysing diary text of teens, state that the pandemic represented
a pause from the stresses of contemporary life, offering a time to focus
on oneself, and engage in creative and healthy activities.
Adolescence and emotions
During the development, emotion regulation involves complex and
continuously evolving processes (e.g., recognition, acceptance,
management and organisation of internal and external stimuli) (Zeman et
al., 2006). These processes are filtered by different systems: a)
physiological, b) cognitive, c) behavioural and d) environmental. In
adolescence, the continuous interaction between neuro-physiological
substrates and environmental interactions (Ahmed et al., 2015)
reinforces emotion regulation. A disruption in this exchange (caused by
environmental, relational, familial, etc. stressors), triggers maladaptive
emotional regulation processes in the adolescents, and becomes a risk
factor for anxious-depressive symptoms characterised by self-blame,
catastrophisation, rumination, social withdrawal and anger (Stikkelbroek
et al., 2016; Young et al., 2019).
According with these premises and with an awareness of the large-
scale impact that the COVID-19 pandemic has had and continues to
have, recent scientific literature has highlighted how monitoring the
emotional health and general well-being of adolescents is a priority to
prevent: development of depressive-type psychopathological profiles,
poor quality of life, social withdrawal, exposure to bullying episodes,
hetero- or self-inflicted aggression, decline in school performance,
lowered self-esteem, etc. (Branje & Sheffield Morris, 2021; Robillard et
al., 2021; Romm et al., 2021; Gupta et al., 2022; Schunk et al., 2022).
It is also important to note that, when exposed to a risk situation,
adolescents have positive resources (e.g., coping strategies, self-efficacy,
emotion regulation skills) that can help them manage the emotional
difficulties associated with the critical period (Fergus & Zimmerman,
2005). These characteristics are associated with a high level of resilience,
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defined as the ability to manage and cope adaptively with adverse events
(Luthar et al., 2006). In these terms, an adverse event, such as the Covid-
19 pandemic, may have awakened and strengthened the vital resources
of those who experience it (Grotberg, 1995; Cyrulnik, 2001), offering
people the opportunity to learn about their potential, improving
themselves and reprogramming their future (Paoletti et al., 2022a).
Adolescence and social support
Social support results from interpersonal relationships and
connections that shape, protect, stimulate and promote individual
functioning (Zimet et al., 1988). It is generally provided by people in the
family and close-relational circle or by members of society (Barker,
2007). In adolescence social support fosters: (i) the ability to recognise
needs and request help, (ii) the development of adaptive coping
strategies, (iii) the promotion of self-esteem, (iv) and the prevention of
social withdrawal, stress and depression (Dumont & Provost, 1999; Chu
et al., 2010). However, as pointed out by Camara et al. (2014), if the
social support sources are not perceived by the adolescent as sufficiently
aware of their personal history, mature, trustworthy and emotionally
involved, they may represent a source of additional stress. This aspect is
in line with the scientific literature that has investigated the sources and
role of social support in adolescence during the pandemic period (Lisitsa
et al., 2020; Kurudirek et al., 2022). During COVID-19 second and first
waves, adolescents mainly relied on family members and close friends,
rediscovering some ties and strengthening others (also through the use of
technologies) to preserve ʻnormalityʼ, fight loneliness, take care of their
emotional and mental well-being, and maintain good school
performance. (Meng Qi et al., 2020; Permatasari et al., 2021). Social
support, in fact, was crucial to strengthen their resilience and adaptive
capacities (Campione-Barr et al., 2021; Li et al., 2021).
Crisis and resources
From a theoretical and empirical point of view, positive psychology
(Sheldon & King, 2001), emphasizes the importance of the strengths and
virtues of human beings in coping with difficulties. A crisis, especially
as vast as the global health crisis, can make human beings realize and
display exceptional processes and resources, which adversity makes
urgent, constituting a real turning point in the lives of individuals
(Morin, 2000). When humans do not neglect suffering, crisis allows
individuals to reflect on their future, reorganize their resources, catalyze
them and reinvent themselves (Paoletti et al., 2008; Paoletti & Selvaggio,
2013, Paoletti et al., 2022a). Therefore, in this study, space will be given
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both to the difficulties experienced by adolescents, but also to positive
resources of social support, coping, self-awareness, hope and creativity,
deployed in the social and historical context of the pandemic and in the
phase of the life cycle most important for the definition of identity
(Erikson, 1968).
Study Aims
The present study aims to analyse, quantitatively and qualitatively,
the emotions experienced by Italian adolescents during the pandemic and
the type of social support perceived. Specifically, the study aims to
investigate: (i) the most frequent negative emotions experienced by
adolescents during the pandemic; (ii) the main sources of social support
experienced by them; (iii) whether positive emotions were also
experienced by them during the pandemic; (iv) in which life-domains
adolescents had experienced positive emotions.
Method
Participants
Eight hundred sixty-one (N = 861) adolescents (58% females; mean
age = 15.81 years, SD = 1.89, min = 12, max = 19) took part in the
study. The adolescents were secondary school students of first (25%) and
second degree (75%). The sample came from all over Italy, with San
Benedetto del Tronto (27%), Rome (21%), Oristano (14%) and Acerra
(5%) as the cities with the highest participation. The other cities involved
in the survey were: Ascoli Piceno, Assisi, Bergamo, Catania, Foggia,
Naples.
Measures
The survey has been administered to adolescents online on the Survey
Monkey platform, in March 2022. The survey was an ad hoc questions
tailored to specific research questions or populations (Kazdin, 2013).
The first part delves into the emotions of young people in times of
adversity; then it focuses on the social resources teenagers have in times
of crisis; finally it investigates the contexts of positive emotions that
adolescents may have felt during the pandemic crisis. It is important to
notice that the survey was created in the framework of positive
psychology, aiming at studying the resources that humans can exhibit in
times of crisis, without ignoring their sufferance (Sheldon & King,
2001). The survey presented four questions, in the following areas: i.
most frequent negative emotions during the pandemic (e.g. “Which
emotions did you feel more often during the COVID-19 pandemic?”
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with possible answers: Agitation, Irritation, Boredom, Fear, Distrust,
Sadness, Upset, Other with possibility to specify); ii. social support
sources during the pandemic (e.g., “Who were your main points of
reference during the COVID-19 pandemic?” as an open-ended question);
iii. presence or absence of positive emotions during the pandemic (e.g.,
“Did you feel positive emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic?” with
answers: Yes vs. No). iv. the fourth question (i.e., reserved for those who
answered ʻYesʼ to question iii.), included a qualitative investigation:
participants were asked to specify which positive emotions they had felt
and in which context (e.g. ʻIn which context did you feel positive
emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic?ʼ).
Procedure
The research project, developed by the Research Institute for
Neuroscience Education and Didactics (RINED, Fondazione Patrizio
Paoletti) in collaboration with the University of Padua, was co-founded
by Fondazione Mediolanum Onlus and approved by the Ethics
Committee of the University of Padua (file: 2020-III/13.41.10).
Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti created a series of regional online
conferences to present the research project, during the second pandemic
wave (April 2021-February 2022). The online conferences were
addressed at teachers and school principals who had participated in
Fondazione Patrizio Paoletti’s courses and webinars of continuing
training – accredited by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and
Research. After informed consent was provided to the families
(administered by the schools participating in the research), the students
of the schools were administered the survey (March 2022).
Analytic Plan
For the study a mixed method approach has been used since
combining qualitative and quantitative methods can provide a more
comprehensive understanding of complex psychological phenomena
(Hanson et al., 2007). The results of the qualitative-quantitative survey
were analysed: (i) quantitative data with descriptive statistics using IBM
Statistics SPSS Software Version 25 (2017); (ii) qualitative data
following the guidelines of the Consensus-Based Checklist for Reporting
of Survey Studies (CROSS) (Sharma et al., 2021). Text analysis was
performed by first identifying the most recurring themes and then coding
the emerging common categories (Braun & Clarke, 2006).
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Results
The negative emotions felt most frequently by the respondents during
the pandemic were boredom (29%), sadness (14%), fear (9%) and
agitation (8.9%) (Table 1). Fourteen percent (n = 69) marked the option
ʻOtherʼ, specifying that they felt bewilderment, anger, uncertainty, grief,
apathy, anxiety, and distress.
Tab. 1 - Negative emotions of adolescents (N=861) during Covid-19 pandemic
Response options Frequency (n) Frequency (%)
Agitation 68 8
Irritation 56 6
Boredom 258 30
Fear 69 8
Defeat 57 7
Sadness 114 13
Turmoil 70 8
Other 118 14
Missing 51 6
The main sources of social support were family members (31%),
friends (29%) and themselves in first person (22%) (Table 2). For this
item, the survey had no optional answers, leaving the respondent free.
Tab 2 - Social support sources of adolescents (N=861) during Covid-19
pandemic
Responses Frequency (n) Frequency (%)
Friends 548 29
Online Friends 121 6
Family 587 31
Teachers 47 3
Myself 413 22
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Sport Coach 29 2
Religious Figures 25 1
Physicians 10 1
Psychologists and Counsellors 67 7
Nobody 8 1
Partner 15 1
God 1 0
Grandparents 2 0
Uncles 1 0
Other 8 1
When asked to indicate whether or not they had experienced positive
emotions during the pandemic, 42% of participants answered ʻYesʼ, 58%
of participants answered ʻNoʼ (Table 3).
Tab. 3 - Adolescentsʼ answers (N = 861) to the question “Did you feel positive
emotions during the pandemic?”
Response Options frequency (n) frequency (%)
No 492 58
Yes 369 42
Three hundred and sixty-nine ʻYesʼ respondents answered the open-
ended question ʻIn which context did you feel positive emotions during
the pandemic?ʼ. These answers were analysed qualitatively, deriving 10
semantic categories (Table 4) – which can be consulted in the coding
tree (Figure 1) – that explain in which area of life the young people felt
positive emotions: (1) “Self-awareness/Personal growth” (32%
respondents) (2) “Relationships: Family” (33% respondents), (3)
“Relationships: Friends/Partners”(25% respondents), (4) “Appreciation
and Enjoyment” (31% respondents), (5) “Gratitude and Hope” (13%
respondents), (6) “Empathy and Sense of Common Humanity” (6%
respondents), (7) “Self-care” (13% respondents), (8) “Contact with
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Nature and Animals” (4% respondents), (9) “Technology for
Communication” (9% respondents), (10) “Pandemic Period as
Opportunity” (2% respondents); 6.5% of the responses were
unclassifiable. The categories identified underwent content analysis,
tagging and thematic analysis (Figure 1 and Table 5).
Tab. 4 – Categories emerged from the thematic analysis of the text
Category Frequency (n) Frequency (%)
Self-awareness/Personal growth 121 32,79
Relationships: Family 124 33,60
Relationships: Friends/Partners 94 25,47
Appreciation and Enjoyment 117 31,71
Gratitude and Hope 49 13,28
Empathy and Sense of Common Humanity 23 6,23
Self-Care 51 13,82
Contact with Nature and Animals 16 4,34
Technology for Communication 36 9,76
Pandemic Period as Opportunity 9 2,44
unclassifiable 24 6,50
Total 369 100
Fig. 1 – Coding tree of the categories identified through content analysis,
tagging and thematic analysis open-ended responses from N = 369
adolescents [N = number of interviews/topic occurrence]
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Discussion
Negative Emotions, Positive Emotions, Social Support
Investigating adolescents’ biopsychosocial health is crucial as they
represent the future of mankind (Kuntsche & Ravens-Sieberer, 2005).
The survey data show that, during the pandemic, adolescents
experienced negative emotions more frequently than positive emotions
in line with the decrease in individual happiness documented by Evli and
Şimşek (2022). Among the negative emotions reported by adolescents,
boredom is predominant and possibly linked to a feeling of existential
emptiness as shown in the study by Hartoyo and Wijaya (2022). The
prevalence of sadness and agitation is in line with studies that show, at a
clinical level, the growth of depressive and anxious symptoms among
adolescents during the pandemic (Amorós-Reche et al., 2022; Babore et
al., 2022). Moreover, the spread of fear probably relates to contagion, a
specific fear that became prevalent among adolescents (Panda et al.,
2021), risking to compromise adolescentsʼ health, leading them to reduce
physical and outdoor activities (Cummings et al., 2022).
In the present study adolescents’ perceived social support,
operationalised as a multidimensional (Zimet et al., 1988), is also
investigated. Adolescents report relying on family to manage negative
emotions and stresses related to the pandemic. Although adolescence
represents a phase of individuation and separation from the family
nucleus, it still constitutes – for the majority of them – a safe base for
proximity and socio-emotional comfort during adversity (Garmezy &
Masten, 1994; Nickerson & Nagle, 2005), as well as a protective factor
against risk behaviours (Perasso et al., 2020; Perasso et al., 2021).
Similarly, peers represented a key social resource to manage stress, even
if the contact was mediated by technology (Maheux et al., 2021;
Cauberghe et al., 2021; Velez et al., 2022), in line with the literature
emphasising the importance of the peer group to support the identity
construction process (Erikson, 1968; Nickerson & Nagle, 2005). In the
results of the present survey, a large subgroup of adolescents reports
having relied on themselves, seeing themselves as a social resource: the
response is in line with Silk et al. (2022) research, where the pandemic is
portrayed by some adolescents as an opportunity for self-discovery.
Life domains related to adolescents’ positive emotions
The categories identified through content analysis and thematic
analysis of the open-ended answers given by a subgroup of adolescents
(the participants who reported, who reported having experienced positive
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emotions) allows an in-depth examination of important topics, that are
related to prevention, and educational and clinical intervention (Figure 1
and Table 5).
Adolescents have reported that, during the pandemic, they were able
to nurture inner growth through a greater awareness of their emotions
and their management, in order to control the situation’s impact on a
physical, social, emotional and psychological level (Bathia, 2020; Kazi
& Mushtaq, 2021). Adolescents described themselves as more mature
and aware, ready for new challenges (González-Valero et al., 2020). This
greater self-awareness and the greater time spent taking care of oneself
may represent, a protective element against impulsive behaviour,
depressive symptoms and addictive behaviour (especially from the new
technologies, which are so useful for maintaining contact with oneʼs
relational circle but equally dangerous in terms of the risk of alienation)
(Bermejo-Martins et al., 2021; Diotaiuti et al., 2022). Other aspects,
linked to the positive emotions experienced, such as hope, gratitude and
appreciation for the small things of everyday life and a sense of security,
emerged in the literature as fundamental psychological resources for
coping with and adapting to the changes imposed by such a stressful
period as the pandemic (Pellerin & Raufaste, 2020; Pigaiani et al., 2020).
Adolescents seem to have seized the period of restrictions imposed not
only as a loss of freedom but as an opportunity to reflect on difficult
relationships - especially at school and among peers - and as a chance to
experience a new sense of security, a new, more protected environment
in which they do not feel judged and can grow. However, this aspect
must be monitored to prevent social withdrawal (Almeida et al., 2021).
Relationships with family, friends and the self also represented
fundamental sources of joy, appreciation, gratitude. Although the
literature has focused mainly on negative emotions and their
consequences (Tugade & Fredrickson, 2004), positive emotions are
associated with greater life satisfaction and fewer depressive symptoms
(Quoidbach et al., 2010; Gentzler et al., 2016).
Plus, during the pandemic, positive emotions predict individual
resilience (Israelashvili et al., 2021). According to Romm et al. (2021),
positive emotions can be a protective factor for adolescents towards the
negative consequences of COVID-19 and can be increased with specific
educational programmes as described by Mesuardo et al. (2022) and
Datu et al. (2022). During the pandemic, perceiving emotional closeness
to family and friends was associated with more frequent positive
emotions in adulthood (Brown & Greenfield, 2021) and in the elderlies
(Cavallini et al., 2021). Similarly, the present study states that positive
emotions were experienced by adolescents in their relationships with
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family and friends, the two socioemotional extremes where, in
adolescence, a balance is needed between the search for attachment
proximity and the need to explore the world (Nickerson & Nagle, 2005).
Moreover, some adolescents reported experiencing positive emotions
related to seeing daily life in a new way, during the period of pandemic-
related restrictions, through a re-discovery of the resources available in
the home environment (Rogers et al., 2021). As some research reports,
digital technologies for communication and virtual encounters can
promote a greater perception of social support, associated with fewer
feelings of loneliness, boredom and anger and a greater sense of
belonging, ensuring the maintenance of meaningful social relationships
even during an extreme situation such as isolation (Pedrosa et al., 2020;
Gabbiadini et al., 2020). Quarantine therefore did not reduce young
peopleʼs empathy and sociability (Commodari et al., 2020). Some
adolescents report that they also made new friends, expanding their
network of relationships and cultivating it over time. Online gaming was
also found to be socially significant and alleviated emotional distress
during isolation (Giardina et al., 2021).
Plus, some adolescents reported that during this period they
experienced more contact with nature through walks and activities in the
green spaces near home. According to a recent study, during the
restriction period, emotions were found to be more positive among
people who had accessible outdoor green spaces (Pouso et al., 2021).
Furthermore, exercise, walking and gardening are among the activities
associated with greater benefits on emotions (Lades et al., 2020). The
interaction with pets was also associated with positive emotions, in line
with evidence on the benefits of the contact with animals for social
behaviour, interpersonal interactions, mood, and stress management
(Beetz et al., 2012).
All these resources, from different life domains, highlight the
heterogeneity of post-traumatic growth patterns and resilience profiles
that other studies have pointed out (Zhen & Zhou, 2022; Dvorsky et al.,
2021). The present study shows that adolescents, during the COVID-19,
pandemic demonstrated increased self-awareness, positive emotions, and
strengthened social connections, a renewed interest for nature, which
contributed to protect and foster their emotional wellbeing. The study
supports the notion that crises, such as the global health crisis caused by
the Covid-19 pandemic, can serve as catalysts for individuals to tap into
exceptional processes and resources, constituting turning points in their
lives (Sheldon & King, 2001; Morin, 2000; Paoletti & Selvaggio, 2013;
Paoletti, 2008; Paoletti et al., 2022a). Given the multiplicity of post-
traumatic growth and resilience profiles of adolescents (Zhen & Zhou,
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2022; Dvorsky et al., 2021), the present research emphasizes the need for
interventions (Perasso et al., 2023) in developmental and educational
psychology that focus on promoting positive resources in different life
domains. By recognizing and nurturing these strengths, psychologists,
educators, teachers, and parents, can support adolescents in navigating
future crises and promoting their overall well-being and development.
Limits and Future Directions
Limitations of the study include the use of survey constituted by self-
report items, that according to Dicken (1963), can cause social
desirability bias in the respondent; this was possibly buffered by the
anonymity of the compilation. The methodology did not include a
longitudinal perspective (McCall, 1977; Ferrer & McArdle, 2010)
because the focus of the study was on the height of the pandemic
emergency, as a present event at the time of the research. It is suggested
to future studies on the effects of the pandemic to adopt a longitudinal
assessment and follow-up.
Another limitation of the research is the lack of face to face
interviews and focus groups to investigate the emotions of the
adolescents: the implementation of further qualitative methods was
hindered by the pandemic restriction and by the extended number of
participants. Moreover, no qualitative investigation has been conducted
on negative emotions. In fact, since a large body of studies have focused
on young peopleʼs negative emotions during the pandemic (e.g.,
Amorós-Reche et al., 2022; Babore et al., 2022), the present work
wished to focus instead on positive emotions, which have been less
investigated in the literature.
In fact, to date, most studies on the effects of the pandemic mainly
examine the risk factors for the individuals’ health, while there are still
few studies that explore the resources and factors that promote positive
coping with the negative effects of the pandemic (Paoletti et al., 2022a).
The present research results provide useful information for orienting
educational policies towards mental health promotion in the coming
years. Although the results show the marked presence of negative
emotion experienced during the pandemic by adolescents, important
forms of positive coping adaptation were highlighted. The research
highlighted aspects to be valorised in terms of resilience and the ability
to respond to crises. Having experienced a health emergency as an
opportunity to have more intense experiences with oneself, with family
and peers, re-signifying restrictions and isolation as a time to rediscover
oneself, are all important elements to be promoted and shared.
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Furthermore, the recognition of positive emotions represented a factor
in the adolescents’ coping with stress, making them more capable of
learning from unusual situations. Reducing the negative impact of the
pandemic experience through a re-signification of it by cultivating
positive emotions through the experience of social cohesion and
gratitude, mirrors the strategies described in some recent neuroscientific
models of promoting brain resilience and well-being (Paoletti & Ben-
Soussan, 2019; Tabibnia, 2020).
In terms of future directions for research on the issues addressed, the
important strategies activated by adolescents remind us of the need to
educate on the awareness of oneʼs own resources through a positive
neuropsycho-pedagogical approach (Paoletti, 2008; Paoletti et al., 2016;
Pavoncello et al., 2013). Indeed, the awareness of oneʼs own capabilities
can enable and sustain a new rebirth (Paoletti et al., 2016). School
curricula should educate future generations in neuro-psycho-pedagogical
knowledge to cope with adversity and uncertainty. Thus, it is necessary
to educate adults and young people to understand the links between
neuro-psycho-physiological states, emotions and behaviour to prevent
depression and anxiety (Paoletti et al., 2022a; Paoletti et al., 2022b).
Conclusion
The Covid-19 pandemic had a massive impact on adolescents. The
results of this study emphasised how adolescents were confronted with
negative emotions (e.g., boredom, sadness, fear, agitation) and the
principal sources of social support (e.g., family, friends, one-self). The
results confirm the fundamental role, for adolescents, of family and peers
to overcome adversities. However, this study innovatively shed light on
the positive aspects, transformations and generative crises that the
adolescents experienced. The analysis of their reflections on the positive
emotions they experienced during the pandemic revealed: an inner
growth in terms of increased self-awareness, gratitude and hope, and
self-care; the ability to appreciate small moments and the courage to take
up new challenges by reading them in terms of opportunities; a
strengthening of relational skills both within the family and among peers
by using empathy and a sense of common humanity; and, finally, the
possibility of discovering new aspects of everyday life through
technology and new means of communication, without ever giving up
contact with nature. This is the first study in Italy to focus on capitalising
on the adolescentʼs resources during the pandemic and lays the
foundations for clinical and educational interventions that aim to
highlight the aspects of creativity, positivity and generativity of the new
14
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please see: http://creativecommons.org
generations. This approach wants to lay ground for more educational and
risk-prevention tools in the developmental age that are developed from a
bottom-up, and not top-down, perspective.
Acknowledgments
Vito Giannini, Elvira Vento (Istituto Paritario Vincenzo Pallotti);
Romina Morresi (Istituto Superiore Augusto Capriotti); Simona De
Santis (Centro scolastico TUASCUOLA); Barbara Piva, Ilaria Rossini
(Scuola bilingue - Assisi International School); Stefania Tetta (Istituto di
Cultura e di Lingue Marcelline); Lisa Finocchiaro (Istituto Superiore “E.
Fermi-F. Eredia”); Monica Sanna (Istituto Superiore “S. A. De Castro”);
Anna Maria Neri (Scuola secondaria “G. Caporale”); Pina Crimaldi
(Istituto Superiore “Alfonso Maria Dè Liguori”); Teresa Mautone
(Istituto Superiore “Bruno Munari”); Rita Canosa (I.C. Don Milani-
Capasso – Acerra); Luca Cerrao, Patrizia Siena (Fondazione Patrizio
Paoletti).
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