Life satisfaction and mental ill-being of young Poles in times of uncertainty

In recent years, Europe, and especially Central and Eastern Europe, has experienced events that have profoundly impacted its economy, labour market, security, social landscape, and public health. As the geopolitical and socio-economic landscape is subject to constant change, young people are among the most heavily impacted by these consequences. Unable to predict the future, they may be prompted to ask existential questions about the meaning of life, which are closely connected with issues of life satisfaction and mental health. Recent reports confirm this trend, showing that young Poles face significant mental health challenges, even despite conflicting data regarding their general life satisfaction. This article aims to provide insights into the factors that may influence the life satisfaction and mental ill-being of young Poles, who are at the forefront of these changes. The analyses are based on representative data for Poland from the European Social Survey. To address the research questions and test the hypotheses, Complex Sample General Linear models were used. The results show that, in general, life satisfaction is associated with the degree of control respondents perceive they have over their lives, their mental health, and the social context in which they live. Social context is especially important for young Poles. While the importance of social context is also visible for mental ill-being, the pattern of association is different compared to that observed for life satisfaction. Furthermore, health-related predictors are more important, specifically for young people, than they were for life satisfaction.