Students experienced various challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, e.g., distance learning, which caused limited faceto-face socialization opportunities with peers, leading to loneliness and anxiety. Loneliness and anxiety are known to be associated with psychological difficulties such as depression or lack of motivation, feelings of anxiety and difficulty concentrating on work, etc. COVID-19 also had an impact on the physical health of young people, such as back pain when sitting at the computer, eye pain and other difficulties. Although COVID-19 is no longer an issue, young people studying remotely during the pandemic are now our learners. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify the emotional state of school youth at the moment and the impact of COVID-19 on their mental health, as researches show that three-quarters of all mental disorders appear before the age of 24. At this age, there are rapid changes in the body as well as the formation of personal identity. Based on these considerations, the Nordplus project ‘Methods for working with young people to ensure learning process resilienceʼ was initiated, in which surveys of students and teachers were organized, and six different educational institutions from three Baltic states participated in the study. Results show that students feel tired, anxious, and angry and have too heavy workload. Teachers think that physical activity, sports and help with studies could reduce the mental health problems of students, but for students, it is most important to spend more time with friends.

Mortality rates and co-morbidities are high in people with psychiatric disorders. These patients have unhealthy dietary habits, which include increased consumption of fast food, snacks, sweets, saturated fats, and reduced consumption of protein, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which contributes to the risk of developing chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Unhealthy and monotonous eating habits lead to a significant lack of nutrients such as protein, omega-3 fatty acids, B-group vitamins, and fibre. The aim of the literature review is to investigate the main diet problems of patients with psychiatric disorders and, based on the studies on the nutritional value of legumes, to evaluate their suitability for the development of new products for patients with psychiatric disorders. Studies show the beneficial effects of legumes on the regulation of rapid fluctuations in cholesterol, blood pressure, excess body weight, and glucose levels, which in general delay the formation of inflammation and reduce the risk of psychiatric disorders. The benefits of legumes are due to their high protein and fibre content, low fat content, and content of iron, copper, magnesium, zinc, and B-group vitamins. In addition, legumes contain bioactive compounds that contribute to the prevention of chronic diseases.