scholarly journals Online Learning in the Era of COVID-19: Computer Anxiety and Mental Health Among College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-50
Author(s):  
Nahal Salimi ◽  
Bryan Gere

The recent outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought significant changes to higher education. In response to the pandemic, many colleges, and universities around the world, especially in developed countries, are embracing online or distance education. Transitioning to online learning that involves the use of information technology such as the internet and digital platform for course delivery has increased dramatically (World Economic Forum, 2020). However, these sudden changes have left some to speculate that the shift to online learning will change students’ level of anxiety, stress, which could result in poor academic performance and low achievement of learning objectives. The purpose of this descriptive cross-sectional study is to investigate undergraduate and graduate students’ perceptions of their mental health and computer anxiety in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive statistics such as simple percentages and averages were calculated. Also, a one-way ANOVA was used for analyzing the collected data. Results indicate that general mental health was significantly correlated with computer anxiety. The results also indicate that computer anxiety and perceived stress predicted poor general health. Demographic factors, such as sex, and academic discipline were significant predictors of computer anxiety, but age was not a significant predictor of computer anxiety. Also, the results show that chronic physical disabilities are a significant predictor of computer anxiety, and overall mental health, however, the presence of learning disabilities was not a significant predictor of computer anxiety. Implications and considerations for future research are discussed.

Author(s):  
Ruth D Neill ◽  
Carolyn Blair ◽  
Paul Best ◽  
Emily McGlinchey ◽  
Cherie Armour

Abstract Aim As individuals adjust to new ‘norms’ and ways of living during the COVID-19 lockdown, there is a continuing need for up-to-date information and guidance. Evidence suggests that frequent media exposure is related to a higher prevalence of mental health problems, especially anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to determine whether COVID-19 related media consumption is associated with changes in mental health outcomes. Methods This paper presents baseline data from the COVID-19 Psychological Wellbeing Study. The cross-sectional study data was collected using an online survey following the Generalised Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9), with some other basic information collected. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the influence of socio-demographic and media specific factors on anxiety and depression. Results The study suggested that media usage is statistically significantly associated with anxiety and depression on the GAD-7 and PHQ-9 scales with excessive media exposure related to higher anxiety and depression scores. Conclusion This study indicated that higher media consumption was associated with higher levels of anxiety and depression. Worldwide it should be acknowledged that excessive media consumption, particularly social media relating to COVID-19, can have an effect on mental health. However, as this was a cross-sectional study we cannot infer any directionality as we cannot infer cause and effect; therefore, future research involving longitudinal data collection and analyses of variables over time is warranted.


2020 ◽  
pp. 63-65
Author(s):  
Anuradha Davey ◽  
Kaynat Nasser ◽  
Sanjeev Davey

Background Vision impairment can extend from no vision – visual impairment – or exceptionally low vision to not having the option to see specific hues. Serious vision misfortune or visual deficiency can influence your kid's development and learning. Early mediation can enable your kid to contact his maximum capacity. Otherworldliness gives an individual a feeling of rising above their prompt conditions and an intrapersonal development of direction and importance for their own life, with an inward feeling of association and trust in their own interior assets. Objective The goals of this study were to examine the impact of spirituality on both coping skills and vision-specific health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and the effect of psychological manifestations among Sparsh Govt. Blind Inter College, Partapur Meerut. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted and purposive sampling was used. Percentages and chi square test was used to find the most common and association of different psychological manifestations. Result In our study, 13.8% had depression of varying degree. The most common psychological manifestation was anxiety (46.7%) among them and 11.7% of students were feeling stress in their life. Students with depression and stress affected coping ability while stress had no affect Conclusion It was found in the study that spirituality was positively associated with coping ability and hence with general mental health. Moreover, spirituality was associated significantly with vision-specific HRQOL. The results showed that spirituality played a mediating role in the linkage between vision impairment and general mental health among adolescents of Sparsh Govt. Blind Inter College, Partapur, Meerut.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029040 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Kinnear ◽  
Ewelina Rydzewska ◽  
Kirsty Dunn ◽  
Laura Anne Hughes-McCormack ◽  
Craig Melville ◽  
...  

ObjectivesTo determine the relative extent that autism and intellectual disabilities are independently associated with poor mental and general health, in children and adults.DesignCross-sectional study. For Scotland’s population, logistic regressions investigated odds of intellectual disabilities and autism predicting mental health conditions, and poor general health, adjusted for age and gender.Participants1 548 819 children/youth aged 0-24 years, and 3 746 584 adults aged more than 25 years, of whom 9396/1 548 819 children/youth had intellectual disabilities (0.6%), 25 063/1 548 819 children/youth had autism (1.6%); and 16 953/3 746 584 adults had intellectual disabilities (0.5%), 6649/3 746 584 adults had autism (0.2%). These figures are based on self-report.Main outcome measuresSelf-reported general health status and mental health.ResultsIn children/youth, intellectual disabilities (OR 7.04, 95% CI 6.30 to 7.87) and autism (OR 25.08, 95% CI 23.08 to 27.32) both independently predicted mental health conditions. In adults, intellectual disabilities (OR 3.50, 95% CI 3.20 to 3.84) and autism (OR 5.30, 95% CI 4.80 to 5.85) both independently predicted mental health conditions. In children/youth, intellectual disabilities (OR 18.34, 95% CI 17.17 to 19.58) and autism (OR 8.40, 95% CI 8.02 to 8.80) both independently predicted poor general health. In adults, intellectual disabilities (OR 7.54, 95% CI 7.02 to 8.10) and autism (OR 4.46, 95% CI 4.06 to 4.89) both independently predicted poor general health.ConclusionsBoth intellectual disabilities and autism independently predict poor health, intellectual disabilities more so for general health and autism more so for mental health. Intellectual disabilities and autism are not uncommon, and due to their associated poor health, sufficient services/supports are needed. This is not just due to coexistence of these conditions or just to having intellectual disabilities, as the population with autism is independently associated with substantial health inequalities compared with the general population, across the entire life course.


Author(s):  
Mateusz Babicki ◽  
Ilona Szewczykowska ◽  
Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas

The main objective of this study was to assess mental health during the COVID-19 second wave. The study was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire that had been provided via the Internet to online respondents in Poland. The questionnaire questions included a socio-geographic assessment, proprietary questions assessing the respondents’ current approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a standardised psychometric tool—GHQ-28. The study involved 2155 respondents, 99.8% of whom gave their consent for the participation in the study. A mean GHQ score was 29.25 ± 14.94 points. The criterion for minor mental disorders (≥24 points) was met by 1272 (59.2%) respondents. In overall interpretation as well as in each of GHQ-28 subscales, women obtained significantly higher scores than men (p < 0.001). The restriction on earning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly associated with the feeling of anxiety/insomnia severity among the respondents (9.96 vs. 8.82 points; p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic, although it has already been experienced for nearly a year, has had a significant association with the general mental health of the respondents in Poland. There is a strong need to implement special programs that offer psychological support in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those who had direct experience with COVID-19 infection.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-wei Chang ◽  
Liu-xia Shi ◽  
Liu Zhang ◽  
Yue-long Jin ◽  
Jie-gen Yu

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the mental health status of medical students engaged in online learning at home during the pandemic, and explore the potential risk factors of mental health.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted via an online survey among 5,100 medical students from Wannan Medical College in China. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress scale (DASS-21) was used to measure self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among medical students during online learning in the pandemic.Results: In total, 4,115 participants were included in the study. The prevalence symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were 31.9, 32.9, and 14.6%, respectively. Depression was associated with gender, grade, length of schooling, relationship with father, students' daily online learning time, and students' satisfaction with online learning effects. Anxiety was associated with gender, length of schooling, relationship with father, relationship between parents, students' daily online learning time, and students' satisfaction with online learning effects. Stress was associated with grade, relationship with father, relationship between parents, students' daily online learning time, and students' satisfaction with online learning effects.Conclusions: Nearly one-third of medical students survived with varying degrees of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms during online learning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender, grade, length of schooling, family environment, and online learning environment play vital roles in medical students' mental health. Families and schools should provide targeted psychological counseling to high-risk students (male, second-year and third-year, four-year program). The findings of this study can provide reference for educators to cope with the psychological problems and formulate the mental health curriculum construction among medical students during online learning.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maciej Płaszewski ◽  
Igor Cieśliński ◽  
Roman Nowobilski ◽  
Tomasz Kotwicki ◽  
Jacek Terech ◽  
...  

Objective. To examine general mental health in adult males and females, who in adolescence participated in a scoliosis-specific therapeutic exercise program or were under observation due to diagnosis of scoliosis.Design. Registry-based, cross-sectional study with retrospective data collection.Methods. Sixty-eight subjects (43 women) aged 30.10 (25–39) years, with mild or moderate scoliosis (11–36° Cobb angle), and 76 (38 women) nonscoliotic subjects, aged 30.11 (24–38) years, participated. The time period since the end of the exercise or observation regimes was 16.5 (12-26) years. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) scores were analyzed with theχ2andUtests. Multiple regression analyses for confounders were also performed.Results. Intergroup differences of demographic characteristics were nonsignificant. Scoliosis, gender, participation in the exercise program, employment, and marital status were associated with BDI scores. The presence of scoliosis and participation in the exercise program manifested association with the symptoms. Higher GHQ-28 “somatic symptoms” subscale scores interacted with the education level.Conclusions. Our findings correspond to the reports of a negative impact of the diagnosis of scoliosis and treatment on mental health. The decision to introduce a therapeutic program in children with mild deformities should be made with judgment of potential benefits, risks, and harm.


2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. pp282-295
Author(s):  
A. Nazilah

The COVID-19 pandemic is of global proportions affecting Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), with online learning becoming a prominent approach to students’ learning during the pandemic. However, minimal attention has been paid to researching online learning in Malaysia during COVID-19. This cross-sectional study examines students’ perceptions of online learning during the pandemic. A sample of 457 counselling students has been chosen using purposive sampling. Online questionnaires in Google Forms with an appended consent form were distributed to the respondents via WhatsApp with 184 respondents and a response rate of 40.3 per cent. The online questionnaire comprised demographic, students’ perception towards online learning (a closed-ended question), reasons for liking and disliking online learning (two closed-ended questions), their preferable online teaching material and delivery (a closed-ended question), and suggestions to overcome online learning constraints (an open-ended question). Data collection was carried out in approximately two weeks and analysed using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the majority of respondents (84.8%) decided that the online learning approach was essential during the pandemic. Most students liked online learning because learning can continue even during the pandemic (75.7%), it was safer to study at home than to go to campus (63.0%), and it facilitated meeting the requirements to graduate on time (44.5%). Most disliked online learning because doing group assignments online was difficult (60.3%), attending online classes was challenging (59.8%), and taking an online test was challenging (55.3%). The respondents (50.0%) also acknowledged that the most effective teaching material and delivery tool for online learning was a PowerPoint with audio (asynchronous method). The respondents recommended internet stability and speed improvements, and a convenient space for studying online at home. This study contributes to the theory and evidence necessary for future research, programmes, and interventions to promote a fully digitally connected and informed society.


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