What factors contribute to maintaining mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic?

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic posed numerous challenges for many people and first results indicate high variability of responses in mental well-being. Thus, this research aimed to identify longitudinal factors contributing to the maintenance of mental well-being despite the adverse life circumstances and derive recommendations suitable for the promotion of mental well-being in the context of future pandemic or similar stressful situations. Methods We analysed representative longitudinal panel data of the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) from 15,122 adults (age range 18-99 years) who participated in the collaborative SOEP-CoV and RKI-SOEP surveys comprising self-reports of mental well-being (e.g., life satisfaction) and potentially relevant factors (e.g., control beliefs). By taking data from before (2015-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) into account, we investigated different patterns of mental well-being trajectories and factors associated with the maintenance of mental well-being over time. Results Preliminary results suggest that the majority of adults in Germany managed to maintain or even enhance their mental well-being in the considered time frame. Moreover, results suggest that certain factors seem to be of universal importance (e.g., altruism, locus of control) while others are particularly relevant for distinct mental well-being dimensions (e.g., life goals). Most decisively, the probability of experiencing mental well-being deterioration during the COVID-19 pandemic was enhanced in individuals with an internal locus of control. Conclusions The findings revealed longitudinal factors that contribute to maintaining mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting altruism, family-related life goals and external locus of control beliefs can help fostering resilient responses in the face of challenging life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Key messages • Several factors (e.g., locus of control) offer the potential to maintain or even improve mental well-being in times characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic. • To enhance preparedness for stressful life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the identified key factors should be included in basic universal public health promotion.


Issue:
Tobacco use intersects with the COVID-19 pandemic not only in terms of health consequences, but also on public health systems, economies, and the environment. Description of the problem: The global tobacco supply contributes significantly to environmental pollution of the natural ecosystems. The damage is compounded by tobacco consumption and its resultant waste, which leaves a significant carbon footprint on the environment, undermining the planet's ecological stability and intensifying climate change. Furthermore, tobacco use exacerbates inequalities and adds burdens to COVID-19-related mortality, which are major challenges to recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: he pandemic has provided a chance to combat tobacco use and accelerate efforts to alleviate these challenges and accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The MPOWER measures from the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) can play an integral part to boost sustainable and equitable COVID-19 recovery -Monitor tobacco use (article 20); Protection from tobacco smoke (article 8); Offer help for tobacco cessation (article 14); Warn about the dangers of tobacco (article 11); Enforcing bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship (TAPS) (article13); and Raise tobacco taxes (article 6).

Lessons:
To accelerate recovery, it is critical to call for actions for governments and policy-makers to strengthen synergies and policy actions to emphasise tobacco control across equity, public health, climate actions, and counteract against the tobacco industry during and beyond COVID-19 as global authorities pledge to achieve the SDGs.

Key messages:
Global authorities must create better synergies on policies with a prime focus on reinforcing tobacco control to recover from the pandemic. Background: Georgia, a major migrant sending country, with about 39% of children living with their caregivers while at least one of the parents migrated (left-behind children, LBC) has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The main aim of this study was to qualitatively explore LBC's perception and experience during the pandemic.

Methods:
Between December 2021 and January 2022, we conducted 39 (29 LBC, 10 non-LBC) individual in-depth interviews with schoolchildren aged 12-18 in a public school from a migrant sending region. We conducted life history narrative interviews and used a thematic analysis approach.

Results:
Preliminary findings show four salient themes: (1) Family members' first reactions to the pandemic influence children's emotional health irrespective of parents' working arrangements. Children express less stress and anxiety when families show emotional stability and are not overwhelmed by the pandemic; (2) All interviewed children find COVID-19 and home-schooling a challenge.
(3) LBC express more intense fear about infecting their grandparents than non-LBC. (4) Closer family ties to parents and siblings and access to better equipment help LBC to cope better than non-LBC. LBC view a positive side of Covid-19 in being able to enjoy more time with a parent, who would have otherwise worked abroad.

Conclusions:
Overall, all children perceive the COVID-19 pandemic as a challenge, yet closeness with a returned parent and with siblings and more affluence helps LBC to cope better than non-LBC with COVID-19 precautionary measures like home-schooling. responses in mental well-being. Thus, this research aimed to identify longitudinal factors contributing to the maintenance of mental well-being despite the adverse life circumstances and derive recommendations suitable for the promotion of mental well-being in the context of future pandemic or similar stressful situations.

Methods:
We analysed representative longitudinal panel data of the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) from 15,122 adults (age range 18-99 years) who participated in the collaborative SOEP-CoV and RKI-SOEP surveys comprising self-reports of mental wellbeing (e.g., life satisfaction) and potentially relevant factors (e.g., control beliefs). By taking data from before (2015-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) into account, we investigated different patterns of mental wellbeing trajectories and factors associated with the maintenance of mental well-being over time.

Results:
Preliminary results suggest that the majority of adults in Germany managed to maintain or even enhance their mental well-being in the considered time frame. Moreover, results suggest that certain factors seem to be of universal importance (e.g., altruism, locus of control) while others are particularly relevant for distinct mental well-being dimensions (e.g., life goals). Most decisively, the probability of experiencing mental well-being deterioration during the COVID-19 pandemic was enhanced in individuals with an internal locus of control.

Conclusions:
The findings revealed longitudinal factors that contribute to maintaining mental well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Promoting altruism, family-related life goals and external locus of control beliefs can help fostering resilient responses in the face of challenging life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Key messages: Several factors (e.g., locus of control) offer the potential to maintain or even improve mental well-being in times characterized by the COVID-19 pandemic.
To enhance preparedness for stressful life events such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the identified key factors should be included in basic universal public health promotion. total per month, gender, and age group and then compared these data with the previous five years' average by calculating the percentage change.

Results:
Overall, both the years 2020 and 2021, it is shown an increase in the deaths percentages compared to the previous five-year period, respectively 5.66% and 8.07%. In particular, there is an excess of mortality in November and December 2020. The increase in mortality is more remarkable for males (13% in 2020 and 20% in 2021). The highest percentage increase was recorded in 2021 for the 75-84 age group (+15%) and in 2020 for males over 85 (+29%).

Conclusions:
The data analysed confirms the excess mortality in 2020-2021 compared to the average of the previous 5 years in Casentino. There are peaks in November and December 2020, corresponding with the second wave of Sars Cov2 infection. The results obtained establish the basis for subsequent analyses that