Young Adults with Chronic Conditions During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Comparison with Healthy Peers, Risk and Resilience Factors

The COVID-19 pandemic led to psychological impacts for young adults worldwide. Young adults with chronic medical conditions (YACCs) generally experience a higher risk of psychological impairment. This study examined the differences regarding the impact of the pandemic on YACCs compared with healthy peers and aimed to identify risk and buffering factors. A longitudinal survey with n = 272 (51% female) young adults was conducted at three time-points during the COVID-19 pandemic. Symptoms of depression and anxiety, positive mental health, life satisfaction, loneliness, and suicidal ideation were assessed, together with sociodemographic variables. The factors contributing to resilient mental health trajectories during the pandemic were examined. A chronic medical condition was reported by 36.8% (n = 100) of the participants. Female YACCs, but not male YACCs, experienced significantly more symptoms of anxiety and clinically relevant symptoms of depression more often, and both female and male YACCs reported a significantly lower life satisfaction compared with healthy peers. The corresponding effect sizes were small. YACCs had somewhat higher odds (OR = 1.69) of non-resilient trajectories during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with healthy young adults, although the prediction model explained little variance. The same was true for female compared with male young adults (OR = 1.86). YACCs and female young adults appear to be at higher risk for psychological impairment during pandemic situations. The early detection of those with psychological problems is recommended. Further research is needed to examine the disease-specific influences on resilient trajectories and their interaction with gender and other potentially relevant risk and protective factors.