Dynamics of addictive manifestations in the process of growing up in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic and related events have affected various areas of social life. The natural processes of growing up and socialization of adolescents have also undergone a transformation. The consequences of this transformation will be observed for a long time to come. The article presents an empirical study conducted in 2 stages - before the official start of the pandemic in February 2019 and two years after its start in February 2022. The study involved 89 male respondents, students of a secondary vocational education institution. At the time of the first measurement, the average age of the participants was 17.21 ± 0.51, and at the time of the second measurement - 19.20 ± 0.48. Diagnostics was carried out using the following methods: Buss-Durkee Hostility Inventory, Suicide Risk Questionnaire modified by T.N. Razuvaeva, Unified Methodology for Socio-Psychological Testing developed by D.V. Zhuravlev and A.V. Kiseleva. Statistical analysis included intragroup comparison (Student’s t-test, Wilcoxon’s T-test) before and after the onset of the pandemic. Data analysis showed conflicting results. There was found no general trend toward a decrease or increase in addictive manifestations. Possible reasons for the patterns obtained were considered in terms of the mutual influence of the pandemic processes and the natural processes of growing up, as well as in the context of social interaction features in this age period.