EFFECT OF THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sulhi Alfakeh
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
University Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Psychological Status ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND The continuous reporting of the latest confirmed COVID-19 cases in Saudi Arabia and globally, with the concomitant social distancing measures and university closures, is likely to affect the mental wellbeing of many university students. There have been many reports on the psychological effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public, hospital staff, patients, children, and older adults [4,5]. However, to date, only a few studies on the mental health effects of COVID-19 and the wellbeing of college students have been conducted during the pandemic [6]. In this study, we aimed to estimate the mental health impact of COVID-19 on university students in Saudi Arabia. We conducted our study to learn more about the psychological status of university students through the pandemic for the following reasons: to evaluate the prevalence of stress, anxiety, and depression of university students during the pandemic; and to provide a basis for universities and governmental policies to support university students affected by the impact of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE Objective: To estimate the psychological impact of COVID-19 on university students in Saudi Arabia. METHODS Method: The Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) questionnaire was distributed via the university students’ accounts. Of the 71,945 full-time undergraduate university students, 3,515 respondents completed the questionnaires. The study questionnaire also included demographic information, including age, gender, source of income, living arrangements, smoking status, and weekly physical exercise. RESULTS Results: Nearly half of participants had normal stress (40.5%, n = 1425) and anxiety (42.4%, n = 1492) levels. In terms of depression, nearly one-third of subjects were classified as ‘normal’ (29.3%, n = 1031); however, one-fourth of them were classified as ‘extremely severe’ (23.8%, n = 838). There were significantly higher levels of stress among female students. Also, a significantly higher rate of male students (50.4%, n = 667) had normal anxiety levels, compared with female students (37.7%, n = 825). Finally. significantly higher proportion of female students had symptoms of depression (72.66%, n = 1,592) compared with the degrees of depression among male students (67.37%, n = 892). CONCLUSIONS Conclusion: We detected that stress, anxiety, and depression increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, and university students were at more risk of developing mental health issues. Ongoing follow-up and monitoring of psychological consequences and their potential negative impact on academic performance and mental wellbeing are needed. CLINICALTRIAL none

The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on mental health and help-seeking behavior among Italian university students. A descriptive and cross-sectional study (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Micaela Di Consiglio ◽  
Sheila Merola ◽  
Tiziana Pascucci ◽  
Cristiano Violani ◽  
Alessandro Couyoumdjian
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Help Seeking ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Help Seeking Behavior ◽  
Obsessive Compulsive ◽  
Paranoid Ideation ◽  
Seeking Behavior ◽  
The Impact

BACKGROUND To reduce the spread of Covid-19 the Italian government imposed a rigid lockdown and, for a whole year, it kept declaring stringent rules to curb the community spread. The pandemic had a great negative impact on general population mental health, including the one of university students. OBJECTIVE The study provides an overview about symptomatology and help-seeking behavior of university students before and during the Covid-19 pandemic and it aims to evaluate the impact of the different phases of the pandemic on students' mental health. METHODS We collected data in four time points: (1) March 2019-February 2020, (2) March-May 2020, (3) October-December 2020, (4) January 2020-March 2021. A total of 454 students have been included in the study. Students answered a socio-demographic questionnaire and a standardized questionnaire to evaluate a broad range of symptoms of psychopathology. Descriptive analyses have been conducted to explore student’s symptomatology and help-seeking behavior. Considering the significant gender-difference distribution between groups, groups comparison analysis has been conducted considering male and female separately. RESULTS Considering the total sample size, results suggest that students have experienced moderate to severe levels of depressive, obsessive-compulsive and anxiety symptomatology. About 14% of the sample met criteria for at least one mental health disorders, but most of them were not receiving mental health care. Moreover, during the lockdown, compared with other phases, female students reported worse symptoms in the following dimension: obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, paranoid ideation and psychoticism. The increasing symptomatology quickly disappeared after the lifting of the quarantine. Results showed any difference in the male groups. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the view of a negative mental health condition of university students and indicate an increase of symptomatology during the lockdown among female students. Preventive and support strategies should be improved in the university context.

Partners of young breast cancer survivors: A cross-sectional evaluation of psychosocial issues and mental health.

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (5_suppl) ◽  
pp. 184-184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Borstelmann ◽  
Shoshana M. Rosenberg ◽  
Shari I. Gelber ◽  
Meghan E Meyer ◽  
Kathryn Jean Ruddy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Coping Strategies ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Maladaptive Coping ◽  
Psychosocial Concerns ◽  
The Impact

184 Background: While evidence of the challenges of cancer caregiving has been growing, scant research addresses the experience of partners of young adults with cancer. These individuals and their relationships may be particularly vulnerable to stress, especially when managing the complexity of cancer care and survivorship with their partner. We sought to evaluate psychosocial concerns and mental health in the partners of young survivors of early stage breast cancer (BC). Methods: We invited partners of young women w/BC diagnosed at age ≤ 40 yrs enrolled in a prospective cohort study to participate in a one-time survey evaluating psychosocial concerns including quality of life, coping, social support, financial insecurity, partnership concerns, parenting concerns, anxiety and depression. Logistic regression was used to explore predictors of anxiety (score > 8 on Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)). Results: Most respondents (284/289) were male, with median age 43 yrs (range 27-65). The median time of survey completion was 62 months (range 16 -114) after their partner’s dx. Respondents were mostly white (93%), working full time (94%), and college educated (78%); 29% reported some financial stress, 74% were parenting children < 18 yrs, and 32% reported at least a fair amount of relationship concern. 42% (106/250) had anxiety (39/289 respondents (13%) had incomplete/missing HADS). In univariable analyses, lower education, working full time, parenting concerns, insufficient social support and maladaptive coping were associated (p < .05) with anxiety. In the multivariable model, only maladaptive coping remained significantly associated with anxiety (p < .01, OR = 2.32 (95% CI: 1.22, 4.39)). Conclusions: Partners of young BC survivors who used less constructive/more maladaptive coping strategies experience negative mental health outcomes after tx has ended. Caregivers’ anxiety may have implications for both their own and survivors’ health and QOL. Future interventions might focus on the development of constructive coping strategies to enhance adjustment and role effectiveness in dealing with the impact of cancer.

scholarly journals Multiple Intelligences and Attachment among University Students and Their Influence on Life Satisfaction and Happiness

2018 ◽  
pp. 82-90
Author(s):  
Serpil Aytac ◽  
Nazan Bilgel
Keyword(s):  
Life Satisfaction ◽  
University Students ◽  
Multiple Intelligences ◽  
Attachment Style ◽  
Attachment Styles ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Satisfaction With Life Scale ◽  
The Impact

This study is about the types of multiple intelligences and attachment styles among a group of Turkish university students. Participants were 450 students from one public university in Turkey. A demographic and socio-economic questionnaire, Multiple Intelligence Survey, Revised Adult Attachment Scale, Satisfaction with Life Scale and The Oxford Happiness Questionnaire -short version were used as study instruments. Of the 450 students, 63.8% were female and the mean age was 21.24±2.14 years. Bodily intelligence was reported more frequently by male students whereas intrapersonal and logical intelligences were reported at higher rates in female students. Attachment related avoidance was reported by 58.7% of the students. Male students reported more attachment related anxiety, and female students reported more attachment related avoidance. No significant correlations were determined between attachment style and economic status, age, class-year and Grade Point Average of the students. The relationship between students’ intelligence and attachment style was also insignificant. No significant relationship was determined between the happiness and life satisfaction scores of students with different types of intelligences. Female students were found to be significantly happier and satisfied with their lives than male students. Students with a poor economic status had the lowest happiness and life satisfaction scores and the difference was statistically significant. These findings are important to provide a more complete picture about the difficulties experienced by young adults when socially or emotionally adapting to university life. There is much to say regarding the impact of “multiple intelligences”, “attachment styles” and the “subjective well-being” of university students.

scholarly journals The Impact of Extended E-Learning on Emotional Well-Being of Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Saudi Arabia

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Sehar-un-Nisa Hassan ◽  
Fahad D. Algahtani ◽  
Mohammad Raafat Atteya ◽  
Ali A. Almishaal ◽  
Ahmed A. Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Regression Analysis ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
University Students ◽  
Emotional Health ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Academic Calendar ◽  
E Learning ◽  
The Impact

Educational institutions in Saudi Arabia extended e-learning until the third semester of the academic calendar to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection and to achieve 70% inoculation for the Saudi population. This study assesses the impact of extended e-learning and other associated stressors on the emotional health of university students in Saudi Arabia. An online cross-sectional survey collected data between the months of January–March 2021. The emotional signs of stress were measured by using a subset of items from the COVID-19 Adolescent Symptom and Psychological Experience Questionnaire (CASPE). Data about demographic variables, educational characteristics and academic performance were also collected. A regression analysis was performed to determine predictors of emotional health. A total of 434 university students including females (63%) and males (37%) provided responses. One-third of students (33%) indicated that the COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting changes including online distance studies greatly influenced their daily lives in a negative way. The regression analysis demonstrated that female students and students with average academic performance had increased vulnerability to experience emotional signs of stress (p < 0.05). The factors ‘Not going to university’ and ‘Not having a routine life’ were significant predictors of stress responses (p < 0.01) and (p < 0.001) respectively. E-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic made it possible for students to complete their studies as per academic calendar; simultaneously, it increased the vulnerability to experience stress, particularly for female students and students with average academic performance. These findings imply that academic advising and counseling services should be more readily available during digital studies to support at risk students.

scholarly journals Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health of University Students in Pakistan

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hafiz Muhammad Asif ◽  
Hafiz Abdul Sattar
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Sampling Procedure ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Snowball Sampling ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: A novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 was identified as the cause of COVID-19 eventually led to the declaration of Public health emergency of international concern and a pandemic by WHO due to its exponential global spread. Present study was conducted to investigate the impact of second wave of pandemic on mental wellbeing and social behaviors among university students of Pakistan during this crucial period of COVID-19 infection. Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was designed to evaluate the psychosocial impact during the current COVID-19 outbreak among the students of The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. Snowball sampling or chain referral sampling procedure was adopted to recruit the participants in the study. Verbal informed consent was taken from all participants before recruitment in the study irrespective of their gender, age and socioeconomic status. Results: Mental health of university students during COVID-19 epidemic was affected to a varying degree revealing that 26.66% were recorded to have mild, 27.15% moderate and 17.04% suffering from severe anxiety out of total 1029 students. Students who were residing in urban areas with parents and having a steady family income were negatively associated and found protective factors against anxiety. However, having a relative or an acquaintance infected with COVID-19 was an independent risk factor for experienced anxiety. Positively associated factors with the level of anxiety symptoms included economic stressors, effects on daily-life, and academic delays whereas social support was negatively correlated with anxiety in COVID-19 related stressors. Conclusion: Public health emergencies and such pandemic are exerting serious psychological impacts on university students. It is recommended that the higher authorities should plan better policies to reduce this impact for the provision of high quality and timely crisis-oriented psychological services to university students.

The impact of COVID-19 on teachers' mental health

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shoshana Cohen-Fraade ◽  
Maura Donahue
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Public School ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Public School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Teachers Experiences ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine teachers’ experiences with mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design/methodology/approach The authors administered an online survey to full-time public school teachers simultaneously enrolled in a master’s degree program in education. Out of 455 teachers who were sent the survey, 96 completed it, resulting in a 21.1% survey completion rate. The survey was composed of both quantitative and qualitative items which assessed teachers’ self-perceptions about their mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as their use of mental health resources. Most questions were drawn from the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4), so focused primarily on symptoms of depression and anxiety. Findings The results of the survey indicated that overall, teachers felt an increase in symptoms of anxiety and depression between March 2020 and February 2021. A noteworthy percentage of participants said they were seeking mental health supports. Research limitations/implications This study was conducted with teachers in an alternative certification program, so their experiences might not be widely generalizable to teachers enrolled in traditional pathways to certification. Originality/value While some research has been conducted on mental health, less has been conducted with public school teachers and even less has assessed the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to add to the existing literature about teachers' experiences with anxiety and depression, as well as the specific impact of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Prevalence of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among University Students After the COVID-19 First Wave in Pakistan

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wizra Saeed ◽  
Saira Irfan ◽  
Neelam Zafar ◽  
Faiqa Cheema
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Academic Disciplines ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Psychological Interventions ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Secondary Damage ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Anxiety Levels

COVID-19, the worst public health emergency in a decade, has had a profound impact on people's mental health. Universities in Pakistan have reopened, although it is uncertain how to prevent secondary damage to students as a result of the reopening. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of depression, anxiety and stress among students following the reopening of universities after the COVID-19 first wave. Furthermore, gender differences in depression, anxiety, and stress were also investigated, as well as the predictive value of CGPA in depression, anxiety, and stress. The sample was (N=360) university students. Data was collected from the two cites of Pakistan. The DASS-21 was used to assess levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among students (Lovibond & Lovibond, 1995). SPSS version 21 was used to analyze the data. Results indicated that the level of psychological distress has increased among university students due to the reopening of universities. Findings revealed significant differences in depression and anxiety levels based on the three academic disciplines. In addition, male students showed significantly higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress than female students and CGPA significantly and negatively predicted depression and stress. Based on the findings of this study, it is suggested that thorough and targeted psychological interventions for students' mental health should be established, particularly in high-risk cities and during the COVID-19 pandemic late phases.

scholarly journals To explore how stress and depression associates with wellbeing of university students in Eastern Nigeria by gender

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 312-322
Author(s):  
Ezenna Michael Agwu
Keyword(s):  
Health Status ◽  
University Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Cross River State ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Few studies in the past examined student’s health status and lifestyle behaviours, however, none have examined how student’s wellbeing is being influenced by stress and depression among university students in eastern Nigeria. This is the first study in Nigeria to gauge the relationship between students mental health status with wellbeing. The study went further to examined how the relationship of stress and depression transmits through gender among the students. Aims: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship of stress and depression with students’ wellbeing and gender. Method: This is a cross sectional descriptive study. Full time university students were recruited from the department of public health in the University of Calabar, Cross River state Nigeria. Data collection was based on an anonymous questionnaire and the sample size was (n= 291). Descriptive tests and chi-square tests were conducted. Results: The study indicated that female students reported higher stress and depression than their male counterparts. Secondly the study shows that female students had a better wellbeing and health status than male students. Conclusion: This study is the first to gauge the association of stress and depression with wellbeing and gender of university students in Nigeria. The result indicated that though female students reported higher stress and depression than male students however, on the contrary they reported better wellbeing index than their male counterparts that even reported lower stress and depression.

scholarly journals The impact of the universities closure on physical activity and academic performance in physical education in university students during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-27
Author(s):  
Aleksander Yu. Osipov ◽  
Tatyana I. Ratmanskaya ◽  
Elena A. Zemba ◽  
Vladimir Potop ◽  
Mikhail D. Kudryavtsev ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Academic Performance ◽  
Physical Education ◽  
University Students ◽  
Female Students ◽  
Student Population ◽  
Male Students ◽  
Lower Amount ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Impact

Background and Study Aim. Physical activity (PA) is regarded as a critical component of a healthy lifestyle and disease prevention. Different constraints placed upon social interaction and public spaces due to COVID-19 could decrease PA and academic performance in physical education (PE) in student population. The purpose of the research was to assess overall and sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in a sample of university students pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and Methods. Participants (n=209) – university students (19-20 years old). The overall period of the research is September-December 2020. All participants (male–n=106 and female–n=103) were divided into approximately equal groups: humanities students (male–MG-1, female–FG-1), medicine students (male–MG-2, female–FG-2), technical students (male–MG-3, female–FG-3). The main research tools: modified student self-reported questionnaire (on the base of IPAQ), academic grading (scores for self-completed PE tasks). In surveys, all participants self-rated overall and sport/fitness PA level pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. The participants had to complete 32 special PE tasks, during the research period. PE teachers rated participants by a special grading scale. Results. For the male and female students’ groups there were no significant differences of overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE pre-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. All participants significantly (p≤0.05) decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE post-cancellation. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level in MG-2 students and sport/fitness PA level in MG-1 students’ post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. For the male students there were no significant differences of grading in PE pre- to post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes between participants groups. There was a significant (p≤0.05) large amount of overall PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-2 students. There was a significantly (p≤0.05) lower amount of sport/fitness PA level post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in FG-3 students. There was a significant drop in mean grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes in students. FG-2 participants had significantly (p≤0.05) higher grading scores in PE post-cancellation of face-to-face PE classes. Conclusions. The universities closure and cancellation of face-to-face PE classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic decreased overall PA, sport/fitness PA level and academic performance in PE in all participants. It is important to note that the proportional decrease in overall PA for the male students was actually large, then decrease in overall PA for the female students was less. The findings highlight the need for active interventions of PA promotion targeted at the student population in the context of self-isolation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

scholarly journals Analysis of Impact on Mental Health and Motivation Levels of Higher-Levels Students Due to Novel Virus COVID-19

sjesr ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-437
Author(s):  
Shabiha Anjum ◽  
Farah Latif Naz ◽  
Abdul Quddus
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
University Students ◽  
Pearson Correlation ◽  
Relevant Literature ◽  
Sampling Technique ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
Coefficient Corrélation ◽  
Motivation Level ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Impact

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the impact on Mental Health and Motivation levels of university students because of nCOV-19. This study analyzed the perception of students’ mental health and Motivation level due to nCOV-19. The population comprised 25000 students of the University of Education Multan, Baha Uddin Zakariya University Multan, and MNS University of Agriculture Multan. They selected a sample of 250 students through the cluster and stratified sampling technique. A survey was conducted for the quantitative components of the study amongst students using a self-made questionnaire based on the factors of mental health and motivation level. Three factors of mental health are stress, anxiety, and depression. The researcher distributed and administered the questionnaires himself. The study reviewed relevant literature regarding nCOV-19, character and higher educational institutions, and other factors influencing these variables. The received information was broken down using illustrative and inferential measurements. Descriptive statistics included mean, median, mode, and standard deviation. The results show that students receive a high level of data collected about the motivational level of students. Both anxiety and depression at a low level, and stress at moderate level amongst university students during the nCOV-19 Pandemic. Inferential statistics included t-test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. The commonness of stress and depression in females is greater than males with a minimum margin, which shows females face a slightly higher level of stress and depression than males. But the commonness of anxiety in females is greater than males with a moderate margin, which shows females face a higher level of anxiety than males. Pearson coefficient correlation indicates a negative low degree of correlation between the impact of motivational levels and students' academic achievement.

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