Description:
<jats:sec><jats:title>Background</jats:title><jats:p>After a year from the emergence of COVID-19 in February 2020, between March and May 2021 Italy faced its third wave of infections. Previous studies have shown that in the first phases of the pandemic certain factors had a protective effect against distress. However, little is known regarding the role of possible protective variables after prolonged pandemic situa-tions.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Material and methods</jats:title><jats:p>454 Italian adults were asked questions regarding the intensity of mental states and emotions experienced, the perceived usefulness of lockdown, the feeling of living a normal life, and the coping strategies implemented to face the pandemic.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Our findings indicate that the presence of acceptance attitudes toward restrictive measures and the implementation of rec-reational activities helped participants face a prolonged pandemic with positive emotions.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>These results extend previous findings about the impact of several behavioral variables on individuals’ mental states and emotions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy.</jats:p></jats:sec>