Two Countries, One Crisis: The YO-VID22 Pandemic Study

Authors

Andrej Naterer (ed.)
University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5947-8808
Dunja Potočnik (ed.)
Institute for Social Research in Zagreb
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1256-2660
DOI: https://doi.org/10.18690/um.ff.7.2025

Keywords:

Croatian youth, Slovenian youth, mental health of young people, youth support structures, pandemic and Covid-19

Synopsis

The publication analyzes the experiences, values, and well-being of young people in Croatia and Slovenia before, during, and after the Covid-19 pandemic. The results show that the pandemic worsened physical and mental health, with young women being the most affected. In addition to stress, social isolation intensified, strongly reinforcing feelings of loneliness, while housing and financial barriers limited independence, especially among disadvantaged and urban youth. Mental health problems, particularly stress, depression, and burnout, remain widespread, and the pandemic further exacerbated these issues. In this context, Croatian youth report stronger family support, whereas Slovenian youth experienced more tension within the family environment. Regarding political participation, Croatian youth are evidently disappointed and passive, while Slovenian youth are more active. A general decline in trust and solidarity in both groups points to the need for inclusive policies to improve youth well-being.

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Author Biographies

Andrej Naterer (ed.), University of Maribor, Faculty of Arts

Dr. Andrej Naterer, is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at the Department of Sociology, University of Maribor. His research focuses on children and youth, youth deviance and delinquency, and small-scale communities. He has participated in over 20 projects as a manager, researcher, or consultant. His work primarily employs qualitative methods, content analysis, and anthropological approaches. He is the author of numerous scientific books and articles and editor of the Subcultures series. He is a researcher at the Centre for the Study of Post-Socialist Societies (CePSS) and a member of several professional associations and international editorial boards.

Maribor, Slovenia. E-mail: andrej.naterer@um.si

Dunja Potočnik (ed.), Institute for Social Research in Zagreb

Dr. Dunja Potočnik, is a Senior Research Associate in sociology at the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb, where she has worked since 2003. With over 20 years of experience, her research focuses on youth employment, social inclusion, well-being, migration, and ICT. She has participated in more than 40 research and expert projects, co-authored six and edited six books, and published numerous papers. Since 2010, she has been a member of the Pool of European Youth Researchers and currently serves on its Advisory Group. She is also a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on research and innovation.

Zagreb, Croatia. E-mail: dunja@idi.hr

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Published

September 3, 2025

Categories

Copyright (c) 2025 University of Maribor, University of Maribor Press

License

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Details about the available publication format: E-book (pdf)

E-book (pdf)

THEMA Subject Codes (93)

JH, JM

ISBN-13 (15)

978-961-299-047-3

COBISS.SI ID (00)

247088643

Date of first publication (11)

2025-09-03

Details about the available publication format: Hardback (free)

Hardback (free)

THEMA Subject Codes (93)

JH, JM

COBISS.SI ID (00)

247086851

ISBN-13 (15)

978-961-299-048-0

Date of first publication (11)

2025-09-03

Physical Dimensions

16.5cm x 23.5cm x 1.5cm

How to Cite

Naterer, A., & Potočnik, D. (Eds.). (2025). Two Countries, One Crisis: The YO-VID22 Pandemic Study. University of Maribor Press. https://doi.org/10.18690/um.ff.7.2025