Pandemic Fallout: Sustained Declines in Young People’s Subjective Well-Being and Protective Factors in Switzerland

Empirical evidence suggests that subjective well-being declined markedly in response to COVID-19 lockdown measures, followed by a gradual recovery, but not for all. Against this backdrop, this study employed linear random-effects regression models to analyse changes in subjective well-being across the general population, specifically among young people (aged 15–24) in Switzerland from 2017 to 2023. It also explored the pandemic-related consequences on youth. Using data from the Swiss Household Panel (N = 30,439 participants; n = 118,604 observations), the findings indicate that 2020 and 2021 marked a temporary deterioration within a broader, long-standing decline in subjective well-being. The results suggest that young people experienced more significant adverse effects than older age groups (45 +) during the short term (2020–2021) and the medium term (2022–2023) following the pandemic onset, though some recovery was observed more recently. Additionally, the study identified factors that mitigated the short-term pandemic-related psychological effects on youth, including being male, being Swiss by birth, having completed higher education, not living alone, and belonging to higher-income households. By identifying protective factors and resilience trajectories, policymakers and practitioners could design more targeted and effective interventions to promote youth well-being, thereby strengthening resilience and advancing a more equitable recovery in future crises.