Psychological Health Conditions and COVID-19-Related Stressors Among University Students: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has broadly impacted university students’ customary life, resulting in remarkable levels of stress and psychological suffering. Although the acute phase of the crisis has been overcome, it does not imply that perceived stress related to the risk of contagion and to the changes in the relational life experienced over more than 1 year of the pandemic will promptly and abruptly decrease. This study aims at comparing university students’ psychological health conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, but also at providing information on how psychological health conditions evolved over the 1 year of the pandemic. We analyzed data from a repeated cross-sectional survey on different samples of university students before the pandemic in 2017 (n = 545) and during the pandemic (n = 671). During the pandemic, data were collected at three stages (Stage 1, April 2020 n = 197; Stage 2, November 2020 n = 274; and Stage 3, April 2021 n = 200). The COVID-19 Student Stress Questionnaire (CSSQ) and the Symptom-Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) were used to assess, respectively, COVID-19-related stressors (Relationships and Academic Life, Isolation, and Fear of Contagion) and the presence of psychological symptoms. Psychological health conditions were compared at baseline and during the pandemic, whereas both psychological health conditions and perceived levels of COVID-19-related stressors were compared over the three pandemic stages. In addition, Logistic Regression was used to explore the associations between COVID-19-related stressors and psychological symptoms. Findings revealed a significant increase in symptoms of Depression (DEP), Phobic-Anxiety (PHOB), Obsessive-Compulsive (O-C), and Psychoticism (PSY) from pre to during the pandemic. Perceived levels of COVID-19-related stress and specific psychological symptoms significantly increased as the pandemic was progressing. COVID-19-related stressors emerged as significantly associated with several psychopathological symptoms. Findings are discussed with the aim of providing tailored interventions to prevent mental disease and promote psychological adjustment in this specific stage of transition within this exceptional global emergency.

STRESS AND BURNOUT SYNDROME AMONG MOROCCAN MEDICAL STUDENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Background:Christina Maslach and colleagues define burnout as a psychological syndrome in response to chronic interpersonal stressors on the job which is further characterized by its three dimensions of exhaustion, depersonalization, and a decreased sense of accomplishment. Burnout and stress are symptomatically similar, with burnout attributed specifically to occupational or academic stressors. Both can cause seriousconsequences on studenthealth, professionalism, and patient care. There are few studies evaluating the level of stress and burnoutsyndrome among medical students in Morocco.The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence and levels of burnout syndrome to identify associated factors as well as the level of stress among a group of medical students in Morocco. Method: Our study was descriptive andcross-sectional. It focused on 5th grade level medical students and was carried out during the month of November 2014. Data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire based on volunteering. Results:The study was conducted in a total of 178 fifth-year medical students. The response rate was 97.2% (n = 173). The mean age was 22.2 years (SD = 0.87 years) with a female predominance (74%). The average daily working hours were 8.33 hours (SD= 2.74) and the average daily hours of sleep was 7 hours (SD= 1.1). The majority of students (96.5%) were single.The prevalence of burnout, based on Maslach Burnout Inventory, was 49% (n = 87) of students.The prevalence of high emotional exhaustion was 44%, high depersonalization was 33.3% and high burnout score for personal accomplishment accounted for 64 %.We found a positive correlation between the number of working hours and the burnout score (r = 0.341, p <0.001) as well as the stress score (r=0.3, p=0.009). We also found a negative correlation between the number of hours of sleep and the Burnout score (r = -0.215, p = 0.019).Clearly, this study provides an idea for necessity to plan specific interventions to reduce student stress and avoid burnout.

Covid 19 and Stress among Students

In today's culture, there are numerous factors that may act as a stress catalyst, making stress a big aspect of one's life. Covid-19 has wrought tremendous havoc all over the planet. Stress isn't just an issue for adults; it's also growing more common among children of all ages. Proper stress management is incredibly difficult to achieve since parents do not have the time to adequately care for their children. Most people assume that stress can only be caused by a traumatic event, but the fact is that tension may also be caused by a good experience. There are numerous causes of student stress that can lead to stress in a student's life, including misbehavior between the student and the teacher, which can lead to increased tension and stress. A lack of parental engagement also led in attacks on all pupils. Children in general do not pay attention to their eating habits, making them more vulnerable to stress in general. Inadequate sleep is also a source of stress, and students all over the world suffer as a result. Students' capacity to manage stress is hit or miss.

Understanding the Role of Student Stress, Personality and Coping on Learning Motivation and Mental Health During a Pandemic

The aims explored associations between stress ratings and influences on coping on student mental health and motivation and compared defensive-pessimism against optimism as a strategy for learning motivation. Most research construes stress as distress, with little attempt to consider positive ‘eustress’ experiences. Undergraduate psychology students (N=162) were surveyed on student and pandemic-related stressors, personality, support, control, mental health and learning motivation. Overall, lack of motivation and procrastination were acute. Uplifting ratings of teaching and optimistic thinking were associated with good mental health, but context control was key. Hassle ratings of teaching lowered learning motivation. Support and conscientiousness bolstered learning motivation, with the latter an important buffer against hassle experiences on motivation. Openness was associated with the stress involved in learning. For those anxious-prone, defensive-pessimism was as effective as optimism was for those not anxious-prone, in stimulating learning motivation. Developing context control, support and strategies linked to personality could bolster student resilience during and post Covid-19.

"I didn't know it was normal": How student stress, anxiety, and confidence during COVID-19 influence student wellbeing

Students in 2020 experienced unprecedented levels of anxiety and stress as a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic affected not only students’ experiences of academic achievement in their first year of NCEA assessments, but also their wellbeing. This action research project, which was conducted with 23 female Pasifika Year 11 students, looked at the drivers of stress and anxiety in students, and investigated methods of minimising and managing these stressors. Another focus was the impact confidence has on agency and expectations of achievement in Level 1 NCEA. Data was collected through student voice, using small-group talanoa, one-on-one conversations, surveys, and conversations with staff. My research findings indicate that students are not aware of the prevalence, nor normalcy, of anxiety and stress experienced by people in daily life. Conversations are presented confirming that students struggle to know how to manage achievement-related anxiety or cope in a learning environment when it becomes overwhelming. This work finds that students would appreciate teachers and adults being more transparent and vulnerable about their own anxieties, and that teacher practice would improve in turn. It suggests that classrooms that serve as safe spaces for mutual sharing about anxiety allow for the sharing and construction of healthy methods for dealing with achievement-related anxiety.

Context Matters: Stress for Minority Students Who Attend Minority-Majority Universities

Research on college student stress has typically focused on institutions where the student population is predominately White and continuing-generation. This study explored student stress in a unique context—a public regional university where the majority of students are Latinx, first-generation (FGCS), and of low socioeconomic status (SES). Of the 355 participants in the study, 72.4% self-identified as Latinx and 59.7% were FGCS. Additionally, on a subjective scale of socioeconomic status (1 = lowest, 10 = highest), the mean response was 5.76 ( SD = 1.56). Participants (18 years old or older) who were enrolled in a first-year seminar course were recruited for this study. Through an online survey during Fall 2018, first-year students reported levels of perceived and experienced stress related to academic, economic, intrapersonal, and interpersonal concerns. Results of regression analyses indicated that most types of stress were predicted by students’ Latinx identity status and SES; FGCS status did not significantly predict stress. These findings highlight the need to explore solutions to address stress for Latinx and/or low SES students. Additionally, the study underscores the necessity of conducting research at educational institutions in which Latinx, FGC, and low SES students comprise the majority of the student body.