scholarly journals Mental health condition of college students compared to non-students during COVID-19 lockdown: the CONFINS study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. e053231
Author(s):  
Julie Arsandaux ◽  
Ilaria Montagni ◽  
Mélissa Macalli ◽  
Nathalie Texier ◽  
Mathilde Pouriel ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo estimate the effect of student status on mental health condition during COVID-19 general lockdown in France.DesignCross-sectional analysis comparing students and non-students recruited in the same study.SettingParticipants of the web-based CONFINS study implemented during the general lockdown in France in spring 2020.Participants2260 participants (78% women) including 1335 students (59%).Primary and secondary outcome measuresThrough an online questionnaire, participants declared if they have experienced suicidal thoughts, coded their perceived stress on a 10-points scale and completed validated mental health scales (Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depressive symptoms, Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 for anxiety symptoms) during the last 7 days. The effect of college student status on each mental health condition was estimated using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Stratified models for students and non-students were performed to identify population-specific factors.ResultsStudent status was associated with a higher frequency of depressive symptoms (adjusted OR (aOR)=1.58; 95% CI 1.17 to 2.14), anxiety symptoms (aOR=1.51; 95% CI 1.10 to 2.07), perceived stress (n=1919, aOR=1.70, 95% CI 1.26 to 2.29) and suicidal thoughts (n=1919, aOR=1.57, 95% CI 0.97 to 2.53). Lockdown conditions that could be potentially aggravating on mental health like isolation had a higher impact on students than on non-students.ConclusionsCollege students were at higher risk of mental health disturbances during lockdown than non-students, even after taking into account several potential confounding factors. A close follow-up and monitoring of students’ mental health status is warranted during lockdown periods in this vulnerable population.

2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 98-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jameson K. Hirsch ◽  
Jessica Kelliher Rabon ◽  
Esther E. Reynolds ◽  
Alison L. Barton ◽  
Edward C. Chang

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Mullen ◽  
Deirdre Logan

This is a tough time for everyone. College students have been asked to leave campus and finish the semester remotely, which may not be something they are used to. While this is a hard adjustment for most college students, this change may be more difficult for young adult college students with mental health conditions. Since trying to finish the semester remotely can be a challenge, we’ve collected some tips that may be helpful. Many of these tips are adapted from our Supporting College Students with Mental Health Conditions in the Wake of COVID-19 here on our website. Michelle Mullen also held a webinar Are You a College Student with a Mental Health Condition? Managing the Wake of COVID: Strategies & Tools to Finish Your Semester that you can find here on our website.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lu-Lu Yuan ◽  
Lu Lu ◽  
Xue-Hang Wang ◽  
Xiao-Xi Guo ◽  
Hong Ren ◽  
...  

Background: The rapid spread of Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) infection has been the most important public health crisis across the globe since the end of 2019. Anxiety and depression are the most common mental health problems among people during the pandemic, and many studies have reported anxiety and depressive symptoms in college students. However, information on the mental health status of international medical students during this critical period of time has been scarce, which hinders the efforts in making proper policy or strategies to help these students. The present study aims to explore the prevalence of anxiety and depressive symptoms in international medical students in China and to find out the factors that have potential predictive value for anxiety and depressive symptoms.Method: A cross-sectional study was carried out for international medical students during November 2020 at China Medical University in Shenyang, China. Five hundred and nineteen international students were interviewed with questionnaires containing demographic variables, Stressors in school, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire (SCSQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), Revised Life Orientation Test (LOT-R) and Resilience Scale-14 (RS-14). Univariate logistic regression and stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were conducted where appropriate to explore the predictive factors of anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms.Results: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms in the sample population was 28.5% (148/519) and 31.6% (164/519), respectively. Stressors in school (β = 0.176, OR = 1.192, CI: 1.102–1.289), negative coping style (β = 0.639, OR = 1.894, CI: 1.287–2.788) and perceived stress (β = 0.230, OR = 1.258, CI: 1.184–1.337) were found to be the predictors of anxiety symptoms among the international medical students; while gender (β = −0.594, OR = 0.552, CI: 0.315–0.968), stay up late (β = 0.828, OR = 2.288, CI: 1.182–4.431), current place of residence (β = 1.082, OR = 2.951, CI: 1.256–6.931), stressors in the school (β = 0.303, OR = 1.354, CI: 1.266–1.496), negative coping style (β = 0.866, OR = 2.377, CI: 1.516–3.725), perceived stress (β = 0.233, OR = 1.262, CI: 1.180–1.351) were found to be predictors of depressive symptoms.Conclusion: The prevalence of anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms was moderate among international medical students in China. The communal predictors of anxiety and depressive symptoms were stressors in school, negative coping style and perceived stress; while demographic factors such as gender (male), stay up late at night and current place of residence were found associated with depressive symptoms. These results suggest that proper stress management and specific interventions are needed to help students maintain their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic period.


2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45
Author(s):  
Jesan Ara ◽  
Kamal Uddin Ahmed Chowdhury

The purpose of the study was to assess the impact of psycho-education on care givers mental health and level of stress. The study attempts to increase knowledge about autism in addition to reduce stress and disturbances of mental health condition among care givers of children with autism. Pre-post design was used to assess the perceived stress and mental health condition of the participants. The control group did not receive the psycho?education session and the experimental group received the psycho-education session. During the pretest all measures were administered and in post-test session all measures were re-administered to the experimental group and the control group. During postintervention phase, a significant improvement in care givers' perceived stress and mental health condition (except severe depression) was noted in the experimental group. But condition of the care givers of the control group who did not receive psycho-education remained the same for the same variables. Results suggested that psycho-educational intervention is effective in increasing knowledge regarding the condition and in meeting the needs of the care givers of children with autism spectrum disorders.


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver W.A. Wilson ◽  
Kelsey E. Holland ◽  
Lucas D. Elliott ◽  
Michele Duffey ◽  
Melissa Bopp

Background: Investigating the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on both physical activity (PA) and mental health is important to demonstrate the need for interventions. This study examined the apparent impact of the pandemic on college students’ PA, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Methods: From 2015 through 2020, data were collected at the beginning and end of the spring semester at a large Northeastern US university via an online survey assessing student demographics, PA, perceived stress, and depressive symptoms. Mixed ANOVA examined differences in PA and mental health changes over the spring semester between “normal” and COVID-19 circumstances. Two-way ANOVA examined the interaction between circumstance and changes in PA in relation to changes in mental health. Results: Participants (n = 1019) were predominately women and non-Hispanic white. There was a significant decline in PA and an increase in perceived stress under COVID-19, but not normal, circumstances and a significant increase in depressive symptoms under COVID-19, but not normal, circumstances among women. Conclusions: A significant decline in PA and mental health among college students occurred under COVID-19 circumstances, and PA did not appear to protect against deterioration in mental health. Proactive and innovative policies, programs, and practices to promote student health and well-being must be explored immediately.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Arsandaux ◽  
Ilaria Montagni ◽  
Mélissa Macalli ◽  
Nathalie Texier ◽  
Mathilde Pouriel ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTBackgroundCovid-19 pandemic and its consequences have raised fears of its psychological impact. The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of student status on mental health conditions during Covid-19 general lockdown among adults in France.MethodsUsing cross-sectional data of the Confins cohort, we estimated the effect of student status on depressive and anxiety symptoms, suicidal thoughts and perceived stress using multivariate logistic regression analyses. Stratified models for college students and non- students were performed to identify associated population-specific factors.ResultsAmong the 2260 included participants, students represented 59% (n=1335 vs 925 non- students) and 78% of the total sample were female. Student status was more frequently associated with depressive symptoms (adjusted OR(aOR)=1.58; 95%CI 1.17;2.14), anxiety symptoms (aOR=1.51; 95%CI 1.10;2.07), perceived stress (n=1919, aOR=1.70, 95%CI 1.26;2.29) and frequent suicidal thoughts (n=1919, aOR=1.57, 95%CI 0.97;2.53). Lockdown conditions that could be potentially aggravating on mental health like isolation had a higher impact on students than non-students.LimitationsParticipants were volunteers, which could limit generalisation of the findings. The cross-sectional design did not allow determining if lockdown impacted directly mental health or if there is another cause. However, we adjusted analyses with the history of psychiatric disorders, and factors related to lockdown conditions were associated with mental health disturbances.ConclusionsCollege student’s mental health is of great importance in the context of the general lockdown set up during the pandemic. Follow-up and interventions should be implemented especially for those at high-risk (younger people and those with history of psychiatric disorders).


2021 ◽  
pp. 016327872110626
Author(s):  
Oğuz Işık ◽  
Dilaver Tengilimoğlu ◽  
Nurperihan Tosun ◽  
Aysu Zekioğlu ◽  
Onur Tengilimoğlu

This study aimed to determine the depression, anxiety and stress levels that have negatively impacted nurses’ mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. A sample group of 826 nurses working in Turkey were asked to fill in an online questionnaire in order to evaluate their psychological responses and the related factors that have adversely affected their mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, 696 nurses (84.3%) showed symptoms of depression, 644 (78%) reported anxiety and 543 (65.74%) reported stress. This study also highlighted that the most concerning factor for the nurses was the risk of transmitting the COVID-19 infection to their household members (89.2%). The most important problems faced by the nurses during COVID-19 included equipment shortages (50.7%), administrative problems (38.5%) and issues such as accommodation and nutrition (27.4%). These were found to have a statistically significant correlation with the nurses’ levels of depression, anxiety and stress. The fear of losing a household member, the inability to their household’s social needs and the fear of death were among the factors that concerned nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic, significantly affecting their levels of depression, anxiety and stress. Taking the necessary measures to deal with the aforementioned problems and fears is important to protect the health, productivity and efficiency of nurses during the pandemic period.


2021 ◽  
pp. 009579842110342
Author(s):  
Eryn N. DeLaney ◽  
Chelsea D. Williams ◽  
Shawn C. T. Jones ◽  
Nicole A. Corley ◽  
Fantasy T. Lozada ◽  
...  

The purpose of the current study was to test the role that components of ethnic identity (i.e., exploration and resolution) play in academic achievement, and to examine mental health, racial discrimination, and gender as moderators of these associations among Black college students. Participants included 341 college students who identified as a Black/African American female or male ( M age = 18.4; SD = .34), and completed measures of ethnic identity, perceived racial discrimination, and mental health. Results indicated that higher levels of ethnic identity exploration were associated with a lower grade point average (GPA) among males with higher levels of depressive symptoms, but not among males with lower levels of depressive symptoms. Similarly, higher levels of ethnic identity resolution were associated with a lower GPA among males with higher levels of anxiety symptoms, but not males with lower levels of anxiety symptoms. Findings may have implications for clinical and educational interventions by highlighting the nuanced ways that ethnic identity, mental health, and gender affect Black college students’ academic achievement.


PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12520
Author(s):  
Xiaoyu Tao ◽  
Dong Chen ◽  
Yawen Fan ◽  
Lanxin Zhang ◽  
Houqian Shan ◽  
...  

Objectives The main focus of this study was to investigate the effect of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health condition and sleep quality of college students in Macao. In addition, the students’ behaviours during the pandemic, such as drinking alcohol, taking sleeping pills, and seeking psychological counselling were analyzed. Method A cross-sectional survey of mental health and sleep quality status, as well as the possible behavioral risk factors, was conducted among the college students of Macao in August, 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. An online self-report questionnaire survey method was applied to assess the general demographics and related lifestyle behaviors of students. The general mental health condition and sleep quality were evaluated through the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) questionnaires, respectively. The main statistical methods included the Chi-square test, Bonferroni correction, and Pearson correlation. Data analysis was performed using SPSS Version 24.0. Results A total of 980 students were investigated in the study, of which 977 completed the survey. During the COVID-19 pandemic period, overall college students in Macao were psychologically well adjusted and reported good quality of sleep. However, female students were in poorer psychological condition than males (P < 0.05). Moreover, the students over 20 years of age had poorer sleep quality than students aged less than or equal to 20 (P < 0.05). The significant differences were found among the students in different study majors for the mental health status and sleep quality (both P < 0.05), which were associated with certain behaviors, such as drinking alcohol, taking sleeping pills, and seeking for help in psychological counselling during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Conclusions Poor mental health status could be either the consequence or cause of sleep disturbance, which might further affected physical health. Therefore, regular assessment of mental health condition and sleep quality of college students is particularly necessary during public health emergencies, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and appropriate intervention should be provided to the students.


2021 ◽  
pp. 216769682110585
Author(s):  
Michelle Haikalis ◽  
Hannah Doucette ◽  
Matthew K. Meisel ◽  
Kelli Birch ◽  
Nancy P. Barnett

The COVID-19 pandemic is a major stressor that has negatively impacted global mental health. Many U.S. college students faced an abrupt transition to remote learning in March 2020 that significantly disrupted their routines, likely causing changes in mental health. The current study examined changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms among 990 college students, from before COVID-19 had reached U.S. community spread to 5 months into the pandemic. Results indicate overall increases in anxiety and depressive symptoms; this effect was amplified as more COVID-related challenges with academic impact and loneliness were reported. Increases in anxiety and depression were buffered as a function of greater perceived positive changes attributed to COVID-19; the differences in anxiety and depressive symptoms over time were also lessened when greater perceived stress prior to COVID-19 was reported. Findings reveal an unexpected effect involving pre-pandemic stress, and highlight potential targets to promote resilience, which should be examined long-term.


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