scholarly journals More Depressive Symptoms, Alcohol and Drug Consumption: Increase in Mental Health Symptoms Among University Students After One Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ezgi Dogan-Sander ◽  
Elisabeth Kohls ◽  
Sabrina Baldofski ◽  
Christine Rummel-Kluge

Background: As the majority of studies examining mental health during the pandemic are cross-sectional, little is known about the changes in mental health during the pandemic, especially in university students. Most studies indicate a worsening of mental health conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the mental health status of German university students during the third wave of the pandemic in 2021 and to compare the results to a sample of a congruent cross-sectional study from 2020.Methods: Two cross-sectional and anonymous online surveys among university students were conducted (first survey: July-August 2020, N = 3,382; second survey: March-April 2021, N = 5,642). Mental health status was assessed with standardized measures (depressive symptoms, alcohol and drug consumption, and eating disorder symptoms), and social and emotional aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic were assessed. In addition to descriptive statistics and group comparisons of the two survey samples from 2020 and 2021, respectively, risk and protective factors related to mental health were analyzed.Results: There were significant differences in severities of depressive symptoms and alcohol and drug consumption between the two online surveys from 2020 and 2021. Findings suggest an increase in the severity of depressive symptoms as well as alcohol and drug consumption. Significantly more respondents reported suicidal ideation in the survey from 2021. Lower self-efficacy, less social support and lower resilience as well as higher perceived stress and more loneliness were reported by the participants of the survey from 2021 compared to 2020. Regarding factors predicting mental health symptoms, being female was a positive predictor for hazardous alcohol use and anorexia nervosa in comparison to men. Further, younger age, being diverse, higher perceived stress and loneliness were positive predictors for all mental health outcomes.Conclusion: This study reveals an increase in severities of depressive symptoms, including suicidal ideation, drug and alcohol consumption among students. Being diverse, younger age, higher perceived stress and loneliness were mutual risk factors for higher depressive and eating disorder symptoms as well as alcohol consumption. Universities and health care policy should recognize and address mental health issues of young adults during ongoing times of crisis and invest in easy-to-access interventions.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth Kohls ◽  
Sabrina Baldofski ◽  
Raiko Moeller ◽  
Sarah-Lena Klemm ◽  
Christine Rummel-Kluge

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting everyone's daily life in unknown measures since its outbreak. Nearly all Universities around the globe were affected. Further, young people and University students in particular, are known to be vulnerable for developing mental disorders. This study aims to examine the mental health social and emotional well-being and perceived burdens of University students during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in Germany.Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional and anonymous online survey among University students assessed mental health status with standardized measures (depressive symptoms, alcohol and drug consumption, and eating disorder symptoms), attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and perceived burdens, and social and emotional aspects of the pandemic (social support, perceived stress, loneliness, and self-efficacy).Results: In total, N = 3,382 German University students participated. Nearly half of the students (49%) reported that they are worried or very much worried about the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority supports the governmental lockdown measures (85%). A Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) sum score of 10 or above, indicating clinically relevant depressive symptoms, was reported by 37% (n = 1,249). The PHQ-9 sum score was on average 8.66 (SD = 5.46). Suicidal thoughts were indicated by 14.5% of the participants. Levels of depressive symptoms differed significantly for the different self-rated income changes during the pandemic (increase, decrease, no change in income). Further, levels of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation differed significantly for students from different faculties. Multiple regression analyses revealed that not being a parent, having no indirect social contact one or two times a week, higher perceived stress, higher experienced loneliness, lower social support, and lower self-efficacy significantly predicted higher scores of depressive symptoms, also higher hazardous alcohol use, and higher levels of eating disorder symptoms. Other aspects of lifestyle such as social and cultural activities, dating, and hobbies were reported to be negatively affected during the pandemic.Conclusion: The present study implies that University students are vulnerable and due to elevated depressive symptoms at risk, being hit hard by the pandemic, but are in general coping adaptively. Low-threshold online interventions promoting help-seeking and also targeting various mental health conditions might bridge the gap the COVID-19 pandemic opened up recently.


Author(s):  
Thomas Volken ◽  
Annina Zysset ◽  
Simone Amendola ◽  
Anthony Klein Swormink ◽  
Marion Huber ◽  
...  

Background: COVID-19 containment measures and the uncertainties associated with the pandemic may have contributed to changes in mental health risks and mental health problems in university students. Due to the high burden of the disease, depression is of particular concern. However, knowledge about the prevalence of depressive symptoms in Swiss university students during the pandemic is limited. We therefore assessed the prevalence of depressive symptoms and their change during the COVID-19 pandemic in a large sample of Swiss university students. Methods: We assessed depressive symptoms in two cross-sectional cohorts of university students (n = 3571) in spring and autumn 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and compared them with a matched sample of the Swiss national population (n = 2328). Binary logistic regression models estimated prevalence with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Results: Adjusted prevalence of depressive symptoms in female (30.8% (95% CI: 28.6–33.0)) and male students (24.8% (95% CI: 21.7–28.1)) was substantially higher than in the matching female (10.9% (95% CI: 8.9–13.2)) and male (8.5% (6.6–11.0)) pre-pandemic national population. Depressive symptoms in the two consecutive student cohorts did not significantly differ. Conclusions: More than a quarter of Swiss university students reported depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was substantially higher as compared to the matched general population. Universities should introduce measures to support students in such times of crisis and gain an understanding of the factors impacting mental health positively or negatively and related to university structures and procedures.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Koning ◽  
Jacqueline Vink ◽  
Tommy L. S. Visscher ◽  
Junilla Larsen

Abstract Background Growing evidence suggests that maternal mental health issues are associated with (young) children’s weight outcomes. However, most studies have been limited by cross-sectional designs and have been aimed at (younger) children. The current prospective study focuses on the link between maternal mental health (i.e., psychological stress and depressive symptoms) and adolescents’ zBMI development. Methods The participants in the present study were part of wave 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study on Dutch adolescents’ and their parents’ health behavior. Adolescents (aged 10–14) and their parents were recruited through six secondary schools in the South and the East of the Netherlands. For this study, we only included biological mothers and their adolescent children who participated in both waves, with data on the main measures in both waves, leaving a final sample of 336 biological mother-child dyads. Adolescents height and weight were measured, and both parents and adolescents filled in validated questionnaires on perceived stress and depressive symptoms and answered additional questions concerning domain-specific stress. Regression analyses were performed in R to examine longitudinal links between maternal stress and depressive symptoms at baseline (T1) and adolescents’ BMI standard deviation scores (zBMI) 6 months later (T2), corrected for baseline zBMI and covariates. Results Maternal general perceived stress (β = .20, p = .002) at T1 preceded higher adolescents’ zBMI at T2, after controlling for baseline zBMI and other covariates, whereas maternal depressive symptoms at T1 (β = −.05, p = .44) and other domain-specific stress did not (maternal financial stress, maternal stress at work, maternal stress at home). Additionally, lower educational level among adolescents (β = .16, p = .001) and adolescent depressive symptoms (β = .16, p = .001) was associated with a higher zBMI at T2. Conclusions Results suggest that maternal general stress, but not depressive symptoms, may influence adolescents’ weight development. Our findings warrant future investigation on whether and how general stress among mothers may predict weight increases of their adolescent offspring.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra M. Rogowska ◽  
Dominika Ochnik ◽  
Cezary Kuśnierz ◽  
Karolina Chilicka ◽  
Monika Jakubiak ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Research indicates that mental health worsened during the Coronavirus crisis, in particular among women and university students. However, few longitudinal studies have so far investigated the changes in mental health outcomes across three subsequent waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aims to examine changes in mental health among university students. Methods A total of 1,961university students from Poland, at mean age 23.23 years (SD = 3.16, 57.47% of women) were included in this repeated cross-sectional study across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic: W1 (n = 657), W2 (n = 654), and W3 (n = 650). They completed the online survey with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), General Self-Rated Health (GSRH), and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS), as well as sociodemographic variables. Results The prevalence of people at high risk of anxiety and perceived stress, poorer physical health, and low life satisfaction changed significantly across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of the two-way ANOVA showed that both the wave (W1<W2<W3) and gender (men<women) had a significant impact on the level of anxiety. Statistically significant changes in perceived stress were found between pandemic waves (W1>W2, W1>W3), and genders (men<women). Self-reported physical health significantly deteriorated in W3 compared to W1 and W2 (W1>W3, W2>W3), and was significantly worse in women than in men. The level of life satisfaction also decreased significantly in W3 (W1>W3, W2>W3), but did not differ between men and women. High GAD risk was presented two times more frequently among women and people who subjectively assessed their health as poor, three times more likely in participants dissatisfied with their lives, and seven times more probably in persons with high-stress levels. Conclusions The results of this study consistently indicate (using parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis) that there are significant differences in mental health problems across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. It suggests that pandemic waves should be considered in future review studies and meta-analyses. Furthermore, these findings indicate a potential role for prevention and intervention programs aimed at alleviating life satisfaction and subjective assessment of health and improving coping skills to reduce stress and anxiety.


Author(s):  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Karl Peltzer

AbstractBackgroundVigorous physical activity (VPA) may be beneficial for mental health. The aim of the study was to investigate cross-sectional associations between VPA, perceived stress, sleep quality and quantity and mental health among university students.MethodsIn a cross-sectional study, using anonymous questionnaires, data was collected from 15122 (42.1% male and 57.9% female) university students [mean age 20.6, standard deviation (SD) = 2.0] from 23 countries in the Americas, Africa and Asia. They were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (short version), and measures of sociodemographic, health status, health behaviour and anthropometrics.ResultsStudents who met VPA recommendations were less likely to report perceived stress, more likely to report subjective good health and depression than students without VPA. There was no association between VPA and sleep quality and quantity and PTSD symptoms.ConclusionThis study only found partial benefits of VPA in relation to well-being of university students.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ohoud Mohamad ◽  
Haleama Al Sabbah ◽  
Linda Smail ◽  
Ehab W Hermena ◽  
Rola Al Ghali

Abstract Background This study assessed whether perceived stress and depressive symptoms were associated with the frequency of consumption of specific food groups among female university students. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among female university students using a simple random sampling method. The response rate was 97% yielded a total number of 385 participants. The associations between stress levels and the most/least consumed food groups, and between depressive symptoms levels and the most/least consumed food groups were assessed. The questionnaire included a 12-item self-administered food frequency questionnaire, Cohen’s Perceived Stress Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory-II. The study was approved by the University Ethical Committee before data collection. One-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the independent-sample t-test were carried out to test the equality of population means across the categories of each independent variable depending on the number of categories of the independent variable. Results Overall, this group of female university students fell under the mild mood disturbance category (depressive symptoms) (BDI-II) and had moderate perceived stress (PSS). Perceived stress was associated with more frequent consumption of salad/raw vegetables and cooked vegetables, and less frequent consumption of cake/cookies and meat/sausage products (p < .05). Additionally, depressive symptoms were associated with less frequent consumption of fresh fruits and more consumption of fast food/canned food and soft drinks (p < .05). Conclusions The data showed that stress and depression were associated with different dietary preferences consistent with distinctions between stress and depression on human behavior. Specifically, the results revealed associations between soft drinks consumption and higher depressive symptoms, and between frequent consumption of salad/raw vegetables and cooked vegetables and higher perceived stress among this group of female university students.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maaike Koning ◽  
Jacqueline Vink ◽  
Tommy L.S. Visscher ◽  
Junilla Larsen

Abstract Background Growing evidence suggests that maternal mental health issues are associated with (young) children’s weight outcomes. However, most studies have been limited by cross-sectional designs and have been aimed at (younger) children. The current prospective study focuses on the link between maternal mental health (i.e., psychological stress and depressive symptoms) and adolescents’ zBMI development.Methods The participants in the present study were part of wave 1 and 2 of a longitudinal study on Dutch adolescents’ and their parents’ health behavior. Adolescents (aged 10-14) and their parents were recruited through six secondary schools in the South and the East of the Netherlands. For this study, we only included biological mothers and their adolescent children who participated in both waves, with data on the main measures on both waves, leaving a final sample of 336 biological mother child dyads. Adolescents height and weight were measured, and both parents and adolescents filled in validated questionnaires on perceived stress and depressive symptoms and answered additional questions concerning domain-specific stress. Regression analyses were performed in R to examine longitudinal links between maternal stress and depressive symptoms at baseline (T1) and adolescents’ BMI standard deviation scores (zBMI) 6 months later (T2), corrected for baseline zBMI and covariates. Results Maternal general perceived stress (b=.20, p =.002) at T1 preceded higher adolescents’ zBMI at T2, after controlling for baseline zBMI and other covariates, whereas maternal depressive symptoms at T1 (b=-.05, p =.44) and other domain-specific stress did not (maternal financial stress, maternal stress at work, maternal stress at home). Additionally, lower educational level among adolescents (b = .16, p = .001) and adolescent depressive symptoms (b = .16, p = .001) was associated with a higher zBMI at T2. Conclusions Results suggest that maternal general stress, but not depressive symptoms, may influence adolescents’ weight development. Our findings warrant future investigation on whether and how general stress among mothers may predict weight increases of their adolescent offspring.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Ling Tan ◽  
Malte Jetzke ◽  
Vera Vergeld ◽  
Carsten Müller

BACKGROUND Mental health is an emerging topic on university campuses, with students reporting higher levels of psychological distress than the general population of the same age. Increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time have been proved promising measures to promote mental health in the general population. However, to derive and implement effective measures to promote mental health among university students, further exploration of the associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and perceived stress in this specific setting is needed. OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify associations between physical activity, sedentary time, and perceived stress after controlling for sociodemographic and behavioral variables among university students in Germany. We hypothesize that perceived stress is inversely related to physical activity and positively associated with sedentary time. Furthermore, we hypothesize that combined associations of concurrently high physical activity and low sedentary time on perceived stress are stronger compared with either alone and that the association between physical activity and perceived stress depends on activity intensity. METHODS We conducted cross-sectional analyses from a large-scale internet-based student health survey (n=4189; response rate=10.0%). Physical activity, sedentary time, and engaging in moderate and vigorous activity intensities were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form with categorization into low, intermediate, and high levels. We measured perceived stress using the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (range 0-40). RESULTS The results indicate that higher physical activity and lower sedentary time are associated with reduced levels of perceived stress. Following adjustment for gender, BMI, income, fruit and vegetable intake, alcohol consumption, and sleep quality, perceived stress scores were lower for students reporting high physical activity levels and low sedentary time compared with the least active and highly sedentary students (Perceived Stress Scale –2.2, 95% CI –2.9 to –1.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 for physical activity and –1.1, CI 95% –1.7 to –0.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 for sedentary time). Combined associations with perceived stress revealed that students concurrently reporting high total physical activity and low sedentary time reported the lowest perceived stress scores of all possible combinations following adjustment for confounders (Perceived Stress Scale –3.5, CI 95% –4.6 to –2.5, <i>P</i>&lt;.001 compared with students reporting low physical activity levels and concurrently high sedentary time). Associations between vigorous physical activities and perceived stress were not stronger compared with moderate activity intensities. CONCLUSIONS Self-reported physical activity and low sedentary time are favorably associated with perceived stress, while the intensity of physical activities seems to be of minor importance. These results help to effectively implement health-promoting measures on campus among university students through increasing physical activity and reducing sedentary time.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cyrille Kossigan KOKOU KPOLOU ◽  
Askar Jumageldinov ◽  
Sunyoung Park ◽  
Nicolas Nieuviarts ◽  
Pari-Gole Noorishad ◽  
...  

<p><i>Background</i>: Previous studies have indicated that university students constitute a higher risk population for mental health problems, especially for depression. Yet, there appears to be a lack of literature addressing a such issues in France. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence rates of depression, its sociodemographic correlates in French university students (FUS), and to examine whether individual resilience resources moderated and mediated the relationship between perceived stress and depressive symptoms. </p> <p><i>Methods</i>: The data were collected through web-based questionnaires. The sample included 1435 FUS with a mean age of 20.5 (<i>SD </i>= 3.38) years. Participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Brief Resilience Scale, and a sociodemographic questionnaire. Descriptive, multiple logistic regression and mediation analyses were used. </p> <p><i>Results</i>: With respect to the BDI-II’s cutoff scores, 20.3% and 22.8% were positive to moderate and severe depression, respectively (43.1%). Gender and education attainment appeared as moderate risk factors when accounting for cumulative effect of perceived stress and individual resilience. Resilience was found to buffer and mediate partially the perceived stress–depression relationship. </p> <p><i>Conclusion</i>: The prevalence of depression was higher in FUS, as similar to those reported in</p> <p>previous studies. The amount of academic and daily stress explained this prevalence. University students with low resilience level were more at risk. Interventions with aim to improving resilience skills could help to mitigate the negative effects of stress and to promote mental health in this population.</p>


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mami Ishida ◽  
Ilaria Montagni ◽  
Keiichi Matsuzaki ◽  
Tomonari Shimamoto ◽  
Tanguy Cariou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Depressive disorders in University students have risen dramatically in the past few decades to the extent that students’ mental health has become a current global public health priority. Obtaining information from University students about their mental health is challenging because of potential embarrassment of disclosing one’s concerns and fear of stigmatization. Self-rated health might be a good solution to evaluate mental health state by a simple and neutral indicator. The aim of the study is to investigate the association between depressive symptoms and self-rated health by sex among University students in France and Japan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted by using two large cohorts of students aged ≥18 years (n=5,655 in Bordeaux, France and n=17,148 in Kyoto, Japan). Depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 scale), Likert scale of self-rated health, socio-demographic characteristics and health habits were collected through self-administered questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression models were performed to describe the association between depressive symptoms and other variables including self-rated health, stratified by sex. Results: A high score of PHQ-2 (high depressive symptoms) was associated with poor self-rated health in both cohorts independently of all other variables (OR 2.82, 95%CI 1.99-4.01 in France, OR 7.10, 95%CI 5.76-8.74 in Japan). Although the prevalence of depressive symptoms between sexes was different in French students (males 15.4%, females 25.0%, p<0.001), it was similar in Japanese students (males 3.5%, females 3.3%, p=0.466), who reported less depressive symptoms than French students. The association between depressive symptoms and poor self-rated health was greater in Japanese females (OR 12.40, 95%CI 7.74-20.00) than in males (OR 6.30, 95%CI 4.99-7.95), whereas the strength of the association was almost similar in French students (OR 2.17, 95%CI 0.86-5.47 in males, OR 2.98, 95%CI 2.03-4.38 in females). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms were associated with self-rated health among University students in both countries with slightly differences in sex. Self-rated health would be a simple, reliable and universal indicator for healthcare professionals and University staff to identify students at risk of depression.


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