Based on the results of the project “YO-VID22: Youth Wellbeing and Support Structures Before, During and After the COVID-19 pandemic”, a scientific monograph was published under the title Two Countries, One Crisis: The YO-VID22 Pandemic Study, edited by Andrej Naterer and Dunja Potočnik. The publication has been co-published by the University of Maribor and the Institute for Social Research in Zagreb.

The study presents a comprehensive cross-national analysis of the status, experiences, values, attitudes, and well-being of young people in Croatia and Slovenia, offering insight into the realities faced by youth before, during, and after the 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. The full monograph is available in open access at: https://press.um.si/index.php/ump/catalog/book/1046.

The project YO-VID22 is financed by the Croatian Science Foundation and the Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency (ARIS) through the call Bilateral Slovenian-Croatian Research Projects (IPS-2022-02).