Crisis perceptions and experiences of resilience among young people in the early and late stages of the coronavirus epidemic

Abstract

Based on data from the large-scale youth survey conducted in the autumn of 2020, a volume of studies entitled Hungarian Youth during the Coronavirus Epidemic was published in 2021. In his opening paper, Levente Székely also raises the possibility of interpreting the epidemic as a generational experience – while indicating that the period between the beginning of the epidemic and the recording of the data has not yet been clearly defined, at least not yet in terms of the significance of the impact of the events on younger generations. In this paper, we follow in the footsteps of the findings of the Youth Survey 2020 and other national and international research to examine how young people experienced the epidemic (how much it affected them) and to what extent they can be considered a 'crisis-resilient' group compared to older age groups in the light of their experiences and lived experiences; and which groups of young people are at highest risk. The results of a questionnaire survey carried out by Századvég in the summer of 2021 showed that 18–29-year-olds were the most vulnerable of the adult population. They typically experienced the greatest degree of change, had the most difficulty finding their way back to 'normal', and had the least 'resilience'. The analysis showed that the subgroups that were particularly vulnerable and "inflexible" were those in higher education, those living in the capital, those suffering from reduced social contact and even from direct exposure to the coronavirus, and young women.