COVID-19 INTERNATIONAL STUDENT WELL-BEING STUDY C19 ISWS REPORT (v.1 (original) (raw)

COVID-19 Lockdown and its Impact on Mental Health in Various Population Groups in Greece: A Cross-Sectional Study

Integrative Journal of Medical Sciences, 2021

Introduction: COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown has brought a serious impact on physical and mental health. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to estimate the impact of the first lockdown in Greece, on both quality of life and anxiety levels in different occupational groups. Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted from 20th of April to 4th of May 2020. A 24-item anonymous questionnaire was administered to collect basic demographic and socioeconomic data. The 5-item WHO Well-Being Index (WHO-5, 0-100%, cut-off 52%) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Assessment (GAD-7) tools were used to assess well-being and anxiety, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS for Windows v.24.0 Statistical Package. Results: A total of 575 participated in the study, 62.8% females, 48.5% aged between 40 to 59 years. 32.5% were employed in education sector, 32.5% in health sector and 20.3% as season workers in tourism sector. Males showed slightly higher levels...

Impact of COVID-19 on University Students’ Quality of Life and Mental Health in Greece: a Cross-sectional Study

2022

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted an increasing deterioration of university students’ quality of life and mental health. COVID-19 pandemic forced university students to take online classes, which may have an impact on students’ education. In addition, students lost many job opportunities because of the pandemic. Faced with unemployment and study pressure and worried about the epidemic, university students were prone to high overall negative emotions, anxiety, and depression. Our study aims to conduct an impact assessment of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life and mental health of university students.Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study using an online interview survey on students at public universities in Greece to better understand the effects of the pandemic on their quality of life and mental health. Three tools were used (WHOQOL-BREF, IES-R, and HADS) as well as five separate questions directed only at participants who have been previously hospitali...

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on mental health of children and adolescents in Greece

2020

BackgroundMental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown measures are expected to be profound.AimThe aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of the pandemic and the lockdown on children’s and adolescents’ mental health in Greece.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of 1,232 Greek parents of children and adolescents aged < 18 years was conducted in March and May 2020. Parents provided information about sociodemographic characteristics, family everyday life during the lockdown and the pandemic psychological impact on their children.ResultsApproximately one-third (35.1%) of parents reported that the psychological health of their children was considerably affected. The most significant concern was social isolation. Unemployment, increased family conflicts, no opportunity for tele-work and a deteriorating psychological health of the parent, as well as children’s previous history of physical health conditions were all significantly associated with ...

Psychological distress in the Greek general population during the first COVID-19 lockdown

BJPsych Open

Background SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly spread worldwide, threatening public health and financial and social life. Aims The current study's aim was to determine the prevalence of psychological distress and post-traumatic stress symptoms in the Greek population during the first COVID-19 lockdown, and to detect potential correlates. Method An anonymous online survey was conducted between 10 April and 4 May 2020, to collect information regarding people's psychological functioning and COVID-19-related perceptions. Results A total of 1443 individuals completed the survey; 293 (20%) reported clinically significant anxiety symptoms, 188 (12.9%) reported clinically significant depressive symptoms and 506 (36.4%) suffered from definite post-traumatic stress disorder. Anxiety symptoms were independently associated with female gender (β = 1.281, 95% CI 0.808–1.755, P < 0.001), educational level (β = −1.570, 95% CI −2.546 to −0.595, P = 0.002), perceived severity (β = −1.745, 95% CI −3.146...

Forced Social Isolation and Lockdown during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Depression, Anxiety, and Trauma-distress in a Greek sample

Purpose The COVID-19 outbreak escalated into a global pandemic, forcing governments around the world to impose measures affecting all aspects of life. Like other countries, Greece adopted social restriction, lockdowns, and quarantines to reduce transmission from person-to-person. This cross-sectional study investigated the impact of social restriction measures on mental health in a Greek adult sample. Method An online questionnaire collected data during the second national lockdown (February to May 2021). A total of 650 participants (M age: 33.13, 71.5% female) comprised the final sample. Results 21.3% of respondents reported moderate-to-extremely severe anxiety, 33% moderate-to-extremely severe depression, 31.8% moderate-to-severe stress, and 38% clinically significant trauma-related distress. Hierarchical linear regression analyses revealed that the strongest contributors to adverse mental health outcomes were being female, younger age, experiencing increases in verbal arguments a...

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Greek adults: a cross-sectional survey

2021

ObjectivesThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and mitigation measures based on social distancing are expected to have serious adverse effects on mental health. This cross-sectional study aimed to examine self-reported changes in the mental health status of Greek adults.Study designThe current study is a primary research conducted on Greek adults during the first wave of the epidemic (March to April 2020).MethodsA total of 527 individuals participated in an online survey using a validated questionnaire (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-STAI and DASS-21).ResultsThe respondents had a moderate mental health status based on the following scores: STAI-S, 45.8; STAI-T, 40.7; depression, 4.6; anxiety, 3.1; and stress, 6.1. Women, younger respondents, those from lower income households, and those living in smaller apartments experienced increased depression, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, infection control practices during the COVID-19 pandemic such as the use of masks, gloves,...

Exploring psychological vulnerability and responses to the COVID-19 lockdown in Greece

This study explores the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population in Greece during the general lockdown period. Specifically, depression, anxiety and stress scores, as well as the factors associated with vulnerability to developing mental health conditions during this period, were investigated. A total of 911 adults participated in an online survey by completing a self-reporting questionnaire that included demographic questions, DASS-42 items (anxiety, stress and depression scales) and other questions related to personal experience. Regression modelling uncovered a significant relationship between gender and DASS scores, with women having significantly higher scores than men for all mental health problems. Participants aged 20–39 years were especially vulnerable to experiencing poor mental health. Unemployed participants reported having worse mental health than others. Having more perceived psychosocial support during the pandemic was associated with lower overa...

Determinants of Psychological Distress during the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Lockdown Measures in Greece and Cyprus

2021

Background: Psychological distress in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures represents an important public health issue. Aim: We studied psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures in the general population in Greece and Cyprus. Also, we investigated several demographic, clinical and job characteristics of the participants as possible determinants of distress. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Greece and Cyprus. Data collection was performed during lockdown measures and in particular during April 21 st to May 4 th 2020. We used the Greek version of the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R-Gr) to measure the distress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures. Also, we collected data regarding the demographic, clinical and job characteristics of the participants. All participants provided informed consent to participate in the study. Results: Seventeen point four percent of the p...