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Abstract
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The world is in the middle of tackling the challenge of the coronavirus emergency. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, and Italy was among the nations most affected, with more than 29,000 victims (European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2020; WHO, 2020). Measures to counter the progression of the epidemic have forced a review and reformulation of the day-to-day activities of the affected populations, necessitating restrictive measures such as social distancing and quarantine.
Several studies have hypothesized that quarantine could have a negative psychological impact on the population (Brooks et al., 2020). Studies have shown that quarantine leads to a decrease in positive emotions and an increase in negative emotions, such as anger and fear (Cava et al., 2005).
The experience of quarantine tends to correlate with decreased psychological well-being and the onset of psychological symptoms and emotional disorders, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and post-traumatic symptoms (Brooks et al., 2020). Factors such as the quarantine duration, the uncertainty of information, and the fear of being infected or of the infection of loved ones appear to be factors that increase distress (Robertson et al., 2004; Reynolds et al., 2008; Brooks et al., 2020). In addition, the loss of routine and confinement, which causes a drastic reduction in physical and social contact with others, can increase the sense of isolation and loneliness, resulting in psychological distress (Brooks et al., 2020). The literature has focused mainly on the psychological well-being of adults and health professionals, and not on adolescent well-being, and, in particular, the risk of suicidal ideation.
Suicide is estimated to be the world's second leading cause of death among adolescents, and suicidal ideation, which contributes to the risk of committing suicide, is at its peak in adolescence (Hawton et al., 2012; Uddin et al., 2019).
Adolescence is a delicate period for future psychological adaptation, and it is at this stage of evolution that the need for group membership is strongly expressed (Badenes-Ribera et al., 2019). In agreement with self-determination theory (Deci and Ryan, 1985), adolescents seek to gratify their need to feel socially connected with others in order to satisfy their need to belong to the group, as well as to feel more popular among their peers. The need for belonging is a basic psychological need that if frustrated or not satisfied can lead to a sense of isolation and loneliness that affects adolescent psychological well-being and can help increase the risk of suicide (Stewart et al., 2017). Thwarted belongingness, or the perception that one is alienated from others and not an integral part of a valued social group, is considered a predictive factor for suicidal ideation by suicide theories and...
Language: en |