Mental resilience and meaning of life in students during the first Covid-19 lockdown

The global health crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relevant social distancing and lockdown measures have had a negative impact on the mental and psychological health of students. According to a number of publications clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, prolonged stress, depression, PTSD, fear, loneliness, and worry are ubiquitous among students, while the sense of having lost their freedom and control over their lives constitute risk factors for reckless, self-harm or aggressive behavior. Studies show that mental resilience and the discovery of meaning in life may be remediation factors to help students adapt to adversities and regain control of their lives by evaluating the events in a more positive way and taking a more optimistic attitude. This study investigates how mental resilience and the search for meaning of life may reduce the depression and stress levels in students in an attempt to facilitate the understanding of the implications of the pandemic which impair the quality of life, and provide some extra tools for strengthening mental resilience and building a stronger sense of identity.