THE WELL-BEING OF CLUJ COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, IN THE CONTEXT OF THE STRESS GENERATED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic is a difficult time for many adolescents who are at a critical stage in the development of their lives. AIMS: The present study aimed to assess the relationship between the level of stress perceived by high school students in Cluj County in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and their level of well-being. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Personal Wellbeing index- School Children and Happiness with life as a whole item were used to asses well-being, and COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire was used to asses the level of stress of high school students generated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The three working tools were applied to a number of 604 students, a representative sample at the level of Cluj County in terms of mass education units with grades IX-XII of different fields (theoretical, vocational, technological, professional education). RESULTS: The results showed that the level of well-being decreases as the level of stress generated by the covid-19 pandemic increases. Girls have a significantly lower level of well-being and happiness with life as a whole than boys and a significantly higher level of stress than them. The proportion of students who obtained high (normal) values ??of the well-being index is 87.3%. Students who have obtained lower than normal well-being values ??(12.7%) should not be neglected. In particular, more attention should be paid to those who have achieved very low well-being values ??(2.6%). CONCLUSIONS: Knowing some issues related to the relationship between the stress perceived by students in Cluj County during the COVID-19 pandemic and their well-being is important as a first step for initiating other studies with this topic, from other regions of the country, in order to identify young people at risk and providing the necessary psychological support for appropriate emotional adjustment.