We have lived our lives in the spirit of the COVID-19 pandemic in the latest period, which demanded serious sacrifices in Hungary as well. By the spread of the epidemic, more and more and younger people fought with the disease, several people worried about their relatives’ and friends’ health. The period of the pandemic and the central provisions aiming at stopping the spread of the epidemic affected people in several different ways, but it has no doubt that confinement, restrictions and the lack of interactions had mental effects on everyone. Over the fear from becoming infected, the reorganization of the healthcare system also influenced people’s mental status, and increased their anxiety and health anxiety, since the care of pre-existing chronic diseases and the diagnostics and therapy of new acute diseases were performed based on a new unknown protocol. Our research examined the population’s health anxiety in a highly disadvantaged region of Hungary along more dimensions in the second and third wave of the pandemic. Our research goal was to get to know the level of health anxiety according to different settlement types, genders, ages and occupations, and to compare its change with the measured data of the option and willingness for vaccination. Our special goal was the assessment of the healthcare workers’ mental status and monitoring of its changes. For the on-line survey research, we used standard questionnaires also validated in Hungarian language: the Short Health Anxiety Inventory - Hungarian version (SHAI-H) (Köteles at al, 2011), the 5-item WHO Well-being Index (Susánszky et al, 2006) and the Adult Hope Scale - Hungarian version (AHS-H) (Martos et al, 2014). During data recording, we queried labour market status, relationship status and the size of the residential settlement besides the socio-demographic data (gender, age, education). There was one question about the respondent’s evaluation regarding his/her own health status and another about religiousness. There were further questions about COVID-19 infection or its suspicion in terms of the person’s own and immediate environment, the severity of the perceived symptoms and the form of the necessary health care. Data recording of this current cross-sectional research was performed in the end of November 2020 and in the beginning of December 2020 at first, and then in March 2021, the questionnaire was filled by 528 persons in the second wave and 515 persons in the third wave. Although the survey, the cohort study performed by on-line sampling is not representative, due to the size of the sample, data provide an informative picture about the mental status of the population of the North-eastern region of Hungary and its changes during the second and third wave of the pandemic. Results: The average age of the 528 persons involved in the first phase of the research was 39.4±13.1 years, the willingness to respond was similar in the second phase (N=515), and there was a small decrease in the average age (x=34.7±13.05 years). At the time of the first data recording, 16.7% of the respondents had undergone the COVID-19 infection, while this number was 24.1% in the second phase. At first, most of the people having been infected (50.4%) had mild symptoms, while 47.8% survived the disease with medium strength symptoms. When we asked about the wider environment, they reported essentially more infections: the infection could have been detected in all the respondents’ households. 22.7% of those living in one household had at least one member and 77.3% had more than one infected family members. The severity of the course of the infection was different: 32% judged it very mild, 60.9% said it was medium, 3.1% of them needed hospitalization, and the course of the infection was fatal in the environment of 3.5% of the respondents. In the second phase of the research, most of the people having been infected (45.1%) had mild symptoms, while 52.6% suffered from medium strength symptoms. 37% of those living in one household had at least one member and 63% had more than one infected family members. The severity of the course of the infection was different: 26.5% judged it very mild, 58% said it was medium, 9% of them needed hospitalization, and the course of the infection was fatal in the environment of 4.5% of the respondents. Overall, the pandemic influences the population’s mental status and health anxiety in an obviously negative way in the examined region, it shows correlation with subjective health status, and we do not know its long-term effects at this time.

We examined the level of stress, aggression, health anxiety and well-being and their changes in almost every wave of the pandemic, and we have reported about the results in national and international studies. In Wave V, the prolonged effect of the pandemic, and, over the mental situational picture, the population’s post-traumatic condition was also examined. Our current research is focusing on the situational picture of North-Hungary, our aim is to get know the mental state of the region’s population. During the research, we used the Mental Health Continuum Scale (MHC-SF), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI) completed with background variables. Results: the questionnaire was filled by 482 persons living in the region, 34.4% of them were men, 65.6% were women, average age 33±15.1. The mental health of the region’s population appears to be below the average (x=32.6±11.8). The worst situation was found in the population’s social well-being (x=9.7±4.7) which did not reach the threshold value. The respondents’ average was in the normal range on the depression, anxiety and stress scale (x=21.9), but the more severe stage of depression was shown by 30% of the respondents, the same of anxiety by 29.5% and stress by 19.9%. The existence of the population’s post-traumatic condition could be detected in the region (x=43.1±20.9) that could be interpreted as the aftermath of the pandemic. The COVID infection occurring in the family has strongly influenced the development of the condition (p<0.009).

Lifestyle and health culture significantly determines people’s health status. Several demographic studies have proved the correlation between disadvantaged social situation, unfavorable socio-economic status and health status. Deprivation and disadvantaged situation have become important, which should be treated as the root of difficulties on several fields since they have great impact on health behavior and -culture. Families living in lagging areas require special attention because of their social and economic backwardness and mental disadvantages. Childhood is an especially important period since skills learned before the age of 14 have a determining role in future life chances and adult health status: satisfactory psychosomatic development, loading capacity and the developing unfavorable habits influence adult health. As the part of the Creative Region program, our goal is to explore the mental health status of people living in the Hungarian Abaúj region by monitored data. 516 persons from 25 settlements and 7 primary schools of the region were included. We used the Beck Depression Inventory (filled under the age of 12) and the Spielberg State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (filled by all participants) by the help of measuring commissioners. Among children, a significant difference could be detected between genders (p=0.007). Body image seems to be a really important factor in youngsters’ life. Body weight (p=0.022) and physical exercises (p=0.02) significantly occur in the manifestation of depression symptoms in young people. The level of adult’s depression is influenced by the education level (p=0.00012), labour market status (p=0.003), alcohol consumption (p=0.007), subjective bad financial situation (p=0.022), sedentary lifestyle (p=0.001) and obesity (p=0.002). 5.5% of youngsters and 1.3% of adults are victims of domestic violence. It is important to highlight that negative future vision, unemployment and hopelessness cause anxiety and depression increasing by age, and it will manifest in endangering health behavior (inappropriate eating, sedimentary lifestyle, addictive disorders).

We have had to adopt to the situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in both private life and work. Besides uncertainty becoming general, our work and its environment have changed markedly in the last two years, also causing increased stress level. Our goal is to examine the changes of the employees’ mental health, stress level and well-being in a disadvantaged Hungarian region during three waves of the pandemic, and the sectors where mental strain has primarily occurred. Materials and methods: Over the background variables, we used the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the WHO Well-being Index and the Hope Scale (AHS-H). The online questionnaire was recorded in November 2020, March 2021 and November 2021. In the study, we attached great importance to the stress level the employees working on different fields were exposed to in the pandemic situation. The quota online data recording is not representative, but it reflects the attitude of the region’s population well. Results: The questionnaire was fulfilled by 515 persons in the second, 527 persons in the third and 590 persons in the fourth wave, with the average age of 36.5±13.4 years. 9 employee categories and 7 labour market statuses were defined; health care workers were examined separately. The employees’ stress level reached its peak in the fourth wave (17.82; 17.63; 19.84). The highest values could be detected among employees with lower educational level (unskilled workers, householders, workmen). Examining the labour market status, public workers, temporary workers and pensioners showed higher stress values. Conclusion: The pandemic has significantly transformed our life. We must cope with increased stress and anxiety every day, and the relevance of the competencies has been revalued in this situation. The prolonged pandemic and the associated limitations have worn the employees’ mental health that reached its peak in the fourth pandemic wave.

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