Experiencing the First Year of COVID-19 Pandemic: Feelings and Thoughts of Emerging Adults

Authors

Miljana Spasić Šnele PhD, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, SerbiaFollow
Ivana Janković PhD, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, SerbiaFollow
Jelisaveta Todorović PhD, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš, SerbiaFollow

Abstract

COVID-19 brought many changes in the daily functioning of many individuals, including emerging adults, due to social distancing, stay-at-home orders, and the closure of public institutions, thus representing a threat to physical and mental health. We investigated how emerging adults felt regarding their experience during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. We were also interested in what they had been thinking about in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic one year after its declaration. To answer these questions, we conducted a qualitative study. The participants included 51 students aged 19 to 28 years old. Conducting thematic analysis six themes related to the students’ feelings towards COVID-19 emerged: collection of fears, signs of depressed state, social discomfort, loneliness and nostalgia, mood swings and adaptation, and resistance through emotions. Four additional themes emerged related to students’ thoughts on COVID-19: reviewing all information related to the virus, how to protect yourself, orientation to a positive future, and reflection on human strength. These findings give an important insight into the challenges experienced by emerging adults from their perspective, which is valuable for further informing public policy and communities, to create preventive programs that could be applied in similar critical situations.

Keywords

COVID-19 pandemic, emerging adulthood, experience, feelings and thoughts during the pandemic, qualitative research, thematic analysis

Author Bio(s)

Miljana M. Spasić Šnele is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of psychology, University of Nis, Serbia. She received her Ph.D. degree in Psychology from Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš. Her main research interests include family functioning, developmental psychology, body image, mental health, and qualitative research. Please direct correspondence to miljana.spasic.snele@filfak.ni.ac.rs

Ivana B. Janković is an Associate Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of psychology, University of Nis, Serbia. She received her Ph.D. degree in Psychology from Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade. Her main research interests include family functioning, parental educational styles, violence in close relationships, and qualitative research. Please direct correspondence to ivana.jankovic@filfak.ni.ac.rs

Jelisaveta A. Todorović is Full Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, Department of psychology, University of Nis, Serbia. She received her Ph.D. degree in Psychology from Faculty of Philosophy, University of Niš. Her main research interests include family functioning, systemic approach at family research, parental educational styles, adolescence, and self-concept. Please direct correspondence to jelisaveta.todorovic@filfak.ni.ac.rs

Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia under project Identity Crisis in Women Facing Infertility: Mixed Methods Approach—InsideMe (Grant number 1568).

Publication Date

2-9-2025

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7151

Recommended APA Citation

Šnele, M. S., Janković, I., & Todorović, J. (2025). Experiencing the first year of COVID-19 pandemic: Feelings and thoughts of emerging adults. The Qualitative Report, 30(1), 3043-3061. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2025.7151

ORCID ID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5492-3386