Abstract

Research highlighted the negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescents’ emotional well-being worldwide. In the attempt to identify resources which could facilitate adolescents’ adjustment, this study examined the occurrence of flow experience and related activities, and the association between flow and emotional well-being among Italian teenagers. In Spring 2021, 150 students (40.7% girls) aged 15–19 completed instruments assessing flow and related activities before and during the pandemic, and current positive and negative affect. Findings revealed that only 24.7% of the participants currently reported flow; over half of those reporting flow before the pandemic did not experience it subsequently, and only 6.5% of those not reporting flow before the pandemic currently experienced it. Participants with flow both before and during the pandemic reported higher positive affect than teens who never experienced flow (p = .011), or lost it (p = .006). No group differences were detected for negative affect. Learning, structured leisure, and interpersonal relations were the domains most frequently associated with flow before and during the pandemic, but after the pandemic onset a reduction in the variety of flow activities and limited identification of new flow domains were observed. The association of flow with higher emotional well-being even in pandemic times suggests the potential usefulness of interventions promoting flow retrieval under adverse circumstances.

摘要

研究强调了 COVID-19 大流行对全球青少年情绪健康的负面影响。为了确定有助于青少年适应的资源，本研究考察了心流体验和相关活动的发生情况，以及意大利青少年心流与情绪健康之间的关系。2021 年春季，15-19 岁的 150 名学生（40.7% 女生）完成了评估大流行之前和期间的流动和相关活动以及当前积极和消极影响的工具。调查结果显示，目前只有 24.7% 的参与者报告了流量；在大流行之前报告流量的人中，有超过一半后来没有经历过，而在大流行之前没有报告流量的人中，目前只有 6.5% 经历过。p = .011)，或丢失 ( p = .006)。没有检测到负面影响的组间差异。学习、结构化休闲和人际关系是大流行之前和期间最常与心流相关的领域，但在大流行开始后，观察到心流活动的种类减少，新的心流域识别有限。即使在大流行时期，心流与更高的情绪幸福感之间的关联表明了在不利情况下促进心流恢复的干预措施的潜在有用性。