HOW 2 SURVIVE A PANDEMIC: Young People Dealing with Crises

The COVID-19 pandemic and has been a significant burden on families and adolescents. Assessments from parents surveyed in the project "Parents and COVID-19 (PACE)," as well as numerous studies, indicate that adolescents were particularly affected and their concerns were barely heard. Adolescents experienced educational disadvantages and impairments to their emotional, psychological, physical, and social well-being. At the same time, they developed creative ways to cope with the challenges. They found new strategies and problem-solving skills that can also be applied to other crises and their resolution.

The participatory project "How 2 Survive a Pandemic: Adolescents Dealing with Crisis" helps to access the knowledge of adolescents, initiates a future-oriented discourse on the topic of "Surviving Pandemics and Crises," and promotes participation in scientific research. In collaboration with four schools in Lower Austria and Vienna, and the association “Sindbad Social Business”, we are developing a Survival Guide Booklet with adolescents aged 14 to 19, scheduled to be released in the spring of 2025, precisely five years after the onset of the pandemic.