Depressive symptoms in higher education students during the COVID-19 pandemic: the role of containment measures (original) (raw)
Related papers
2021
Higher-education students face substantial risks for developing depressive symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic or experiencing exacerbated pre-existing depressive symptoms. This study uses data from the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study, which collected data through a non-representative convenience sample in 125 higher-education institutions (HEI) across 26 high-and middle-income countries (N: 20,103) during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It describes the prevalence of depressive symptoms in higher-education students. We find substantial cross-national variation in depressive symptoms, with lowest mean levels established in the Nordic countries and France, while highest mean levels of depressive symptoms were found in Turkey, South Africa, Spain and the USA. Elevated risk for depressive symptoms was found in female students, students with fewer social support resources and in a more disadvantaged socioeconomic position, and students with a migrant background. COVID-19 related stressors, such as reduced social contact, increased financial insecurity, and academic stress explained a relatively larger proportion of the variance in depressive symptoms compared to non-COVID-19 related stressors. This finding shows that not the pandemic itself, but rather the secondary effects of the pandemic relate to students' mental health. Our results enable HEIs to be better equipped to target groups that are particularly at risk during a pandemic.
International Journal of Public Health, 2022
Objectives: To assess the association between students' financial loss and depressive symptoms during the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and whether this association varied by countries having different levels of lockdown measures. Methods: This cross-sectional survey, conducted in spring 2020, included 91,871 students from 23 countries. Depressive symptoms were measured using the shortened Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and information on lockdowns retrieved from the COVID-19 government response tracker. The association between financial loss and depressive symptoms was investigated estimating prevalence ratios (PR) with multilevel Poisson models. Results: Some 13% of students suffered financial loss during the lockdown and 52% had a relatively high depression score, with large between-countries differences. Minimally and maximally adjusted models showed a 35% (PR = 1.35, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) = 1.29-1.42) and 31% (PR = 1.31, 95% CI = 1.26-1.37) higher prevalence of depressive symptoms in students who lost economic resources compared to students with stable economic resources. No substantial differences in the association were found across countries. Conclusion: Depressive symptoms were more frequent among students who suffered financial loss during the pandemic. Policy makers should consider this issue in the implementation of COVID-19 mitigating measures.
Journal of Public Health Research
Background: The spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in a drastic alteration to billions of individuals’ emotional, physical, mental, social, and financial status. As of July 21st, 2020, there had been 14.35 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 0.60 million deaths in 216 countries.Design and Methods: The study explores health and well-being in universities within the G20 countries (19 member countries and the European Union) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample selection of these countries was considered since it serves around 80% of the world’s economic output, two-thirds of the global population (including more than half of the world's poor), and 75% of international trade. Specifically, due to this public health concern, schools' nationwide closures are impacting over 60% of the world’s student population to promote their quality of life and well-being.Results: This study investigates the G20 policies and procedures within higher education regarding...
Well-Being and Mental Health of Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic
2021
Background: During the Covid-19 pandemic, a decrease of well-being and an increase of mental health problems were registered in medical and psychotherapeutic practices, counselling centers and clinics. According to previous studies, younger people and women seemed to be particularly affected. The aim of this study was to describe mental health problems of students and to draw consequences for the further handling of pandemics and other crises. Method: Students at the University of Heidelberg, a typical German "full university", were surveyed online using internationally comparable screening instruments like the Well-Being-Index (WHO-5) and the Patient-Health-Questionnaire (PHQ). In addition, the students had the opportunity to describe in a narrative form their well-being and to make suggestions how to improve their situation. Results: Out of a population of 27,162 students who were contacted by email, 2,137 students completed the questionnaire. The salient finding is that, according to the WHO-5 Well-Being Index, 72.2% of the respondents feel seriously impaired in their well-being. This corresponds to the finding that 75.8% of the respondents in the PHQ-D health questionnaire show indications of at least one syndrome diagnosis. Depression was found in 41.8% of the respondents in the PHQ-D. Indications of moderate-severe and severe depressive syndromes were present in 31.8%. Signs of somatoform syndromes are found in 25.4% and of anxiety syndromes in 20.0%. 1089 Students gave narrative reports on how they were feeling and made suggestions for improvement. About 75% reported severely reduced well-being. Their main complaints were loneliness and depression and lack of recognition for their specific academic and life situation during the pandemic. By far the largest proportion of students supposed that their mental health issues were caused and/or intensified by the pandemic-related social contact restrictions. The vast majority of them made reasonable suggestions for controlled relaxation of contact restrictions. Conclusions: Students suffer severely from the pandemic-related social restriction. In respect to future pandemic outbreaks or other crises leading to social isolation the dramatic consequences of social lock-downs should be taken into account. Under pandemic conditions we especially should support persons lacking social networks. Keywords Covid-19 Pandemic, Well-Being, Mental Health, Social Isolation, Depression, University Students
Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2021
Background: Previous findings suggest that university students are at an elevated risk to experience financial hardship and to suffer from depressive symptoms. This vulnerability may have substantially increased during the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic which might have affected students' socioeconomic situation but possibly also their mental well-being. We examined whether the financial situation changed during the COVID-19 pandemic among German university students, and whether changes were associated with mental well-being. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey in May and July 2020 at five German universities. Participants were asked, if they had sufficient financial resources to cover monthly expenses before and during the pandemic. The answer options were dichotomized into worsened and no change/better financial situation compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the CES-D 8 scale. For examining associations between sociodemographic, study-related, and financial factors and "worsened financial situation," we ran a generalized linear mixed model. To assess associations between depressive symptoms and worsened financial situation, we performed a linear mixed model. Negash et al. Financial Situation and Depressive Symptoms Results: We included 7,199 participants in the analyses (69% female, 30% male, 1% diverse, mean age: 24 years, standard deviation: 4.7). Overall, 25% of the participants reported to have a worsened financial situation at the time of the survey than in the time before COVID-19. Factors associated with a worsened financial situation were migration background, parents not being academics, not being able to borrow money, and payment of tuition fee by student and loan [odds ratios (OR) ranging from 1.20 to 2.35]. Factors associated with lower odds were: being single, living with others, studying a health-related field, being enrolled in a doctoral/Ph.D. or state exam program, and publicly funded tuition/tuition paid with a scholarship (OR ranging from 0.42 to 0.80). A worsened financial situation was associated with 1.02 points more on the CES-D 8 scale (95% CI: 0.80-1.24). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the pandemic put a number of students under financial strain with detrimental consequences for their mental well-being. Renewed attention must be paid to this vulnerable group to prevent the potentially damaging effects on their mental health.
COVID-19 and depressive symptoms in students before and during lockdown
2020
ABSTRACTThe lockdown due to coronavirus pandemic may exacerbate depressive symptoms, experts argue. Here we report that students, a high-risk category for mental disorders, report on average worse depressive symptoms than six months before isolation. The prospective data reported herein should alert clinician of a possible aggravation as well as new-onsets of depressive symptoms in students.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological well-being of students. Several stressors (such as socioeconomic and education-related contexts) could influence mental health, as well as individual and relational dimensions. This study proposes to evaluate the predictive effect of these factors on anxiety and depressive symptoms among students in higher education one year after the beginning of the pandemic. A sample of 23,307 students (Mage = 20.89; SD = 1.96; 69.08% of women) was assessed through an online self-report questionnaire including adapted and validated measures. The main rates were as follows: 50.6% of students presented anxiety symptoms; 55.1% reported depressive symptoms; 20.8% manifested suicidal ideations; 42.4% saw their financial situation deteriorate; 39.1% felt they were dropping out of school. One year after the beginning of the pandemic, students in higher education are anxious and depressed, especially those who identify as women (for both anxiety and de...
College Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Prior to and during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Education Sciences
Student mental health was a growing concern globally prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of the pandemic and associated restrictions on the psychological wellbeing of college students. Baseline data were collected pre-pandemic in September 2019 among students attending a university in Northern Ireland and an Institute of Technology in the Republic of Ireland. Surveys were also conducted with this cohort during the pandemic, at the start of the academic years 2020 and 2021 (499 students fully completed all three waves). A follow-up survey was conducted at the end of their third year, in summer 2022 (n = 229). High levels of mental health problems were already present among students commencing college. The subsequent pandemic had a very negative impact on student’s academic experience and other aspects of life. Rates of depression (PHQ-9) increased significantly from the onset of the pandemic and remained high. Anxiety (GAD-7) in...