Future self-imagery of young people in Sweden during the COVID-19 pandemic: an exploratory mixed methods analysis

Abstract

Global restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic significantly limited the capacity to plan for the future. Little is known about young people’s future self-images and the impact the COVID-19 pandemic may have had upon them. Given evidence that the ability to imagine a positive future can be protective for mental health, research into the impact of the pandemic on future self-imagery is needed. In two studies, we therefore explored the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for future self-imagery in an unselected sample of young people in Sweden, specifically: (a) how content and characteristics of future self-images changed from before to during the pandemic, and (b) how such change was related to trauma history, intrusive memories of COVID-19 media footage, past time perspective and optimism (assessed with questionnaires/intrusive memory diary). Future self-images before and during the pandemic were assessed using the ‘I Will Be’ task (NStudy1=74; NStudy2=99). A mixed methods design, combining quantitative analysis, qualitative content coding and thematic analysis was used. Exploratory results of Study 1 indicated that future images were rated as less positive during than before the pandemic and that this reduction was less pronounced in people with higher optimism. Results were replicated in an independent sample (Study 2, collected later during the pandemic). In conclusion, whilst the findings are preliminary and emerged from an unselected sample, they prompt the suggestion that brief, novel interventions which aim to bolster positive future imagery may hold promise as a scalable means by which to enhance mental health for young people in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Creative Urban Spaces as Variations for Building an Image of the Future for “Extended Self”

“…Актуальность исследования. Последние научные труды в зарубежной психотерапии показывают, что пандемия COVID-19 наложила свой негативный отпечаток на психоэмоциональное состояние молодого поколения, которое было лишено личной коммуникации со сверстниками [Singh et al, 2022], посещений общественных пространств и публичных мест [Creswell et al, 2021;Holmes et al, 2020;McCracken et al, 2020]. Также учеными отмечается корреляция между ассоциациями, которые представляли перед собой молодые люди до и после пандемии, отмечая в своих высказываниях, что это событие наложило огромный отпечаток на их личное психологические благополучие (psychological wellbeing) и представление о собственном будущем [Niziurski and Schaper, 2021].…”