No abstract

Amid the spread of COVID-19, a study of mental health in university students from different regions of Russia (n = 3057) was undertaken during the period from April 9 to April 20, 2020. The results were compared to studies conducted earlier within a large-scale research project examining student mental health. Mental health indicators were analyzed during three different periods: long before the onset of the pandemic (period 1); in the early days of the spread of COVID-19 in Russia, though prior to the implementation of containment measures (period 2); during tough measures to contain the first wave of the pandemic (period 3). The comparison of indicators showed no differences in the levels of psychological wellbeing (F = 0.918; p = .4), significantly lower levels of depression, anxiety and stress during the period 1 compared to the periods 2 and 3 (p \ .001), and the highest levels of anxiety and stress during the period 2. We also established a higher increase in the levels of depression (F = 6.883; p = .001), anxiety (F = 11.868; p \ .001) and stress (F = 10.384; p \ .001) in young men compared to the changes in the same indicators in young women during the pandemic. However, both before and during the pandemic, these indicators showed better mental health in young men than in young women. Thus, when studying the impact of the pandemic on students' mental health, it is crucial to take into account the possible dynamics of their mental state within relatively short periods of time and to pay particular attention to gender differences.

This study analyzed connections between different components of executive functions (EF; inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility) among 1,075 preschool children in Moscow. The results suggested greater heterochronicity in different EF component levels for girls compared with boys. Factor analysis showed the best fit for a three‐factor model.

Previous studies have shown that there is a positive correlation between attending music classes regularly and the development of executive functions. This paper discusses the results of a pilot study dedicated to determining the difference in the level of development of the components of executive functions (inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and working memory), between 5–6-year-old children taking extra music classes, and children who participated only in general music and dance education in kindergarten. A total of 94 senior preschoolers from Moscow kindergartens took part in the study. Children were selected into an “extra music lessons” group and a “general preschool music and dance lessons” group based on the results of a questionnaire on supplementary education, which was filled in by parents prior to the research starting. The respondents from the “extra music and dance lessons” group attended music classes in art schools at least two times a week, both in individual and group formats. The current study revealed that children attending regular extra music classes had a higher level of inhibitory control, audio–verbal working memory, cognitive flexibility, and general coordination of the development of all executive functions. The obtained results support the value of regular extra music classes at preschool age. Moreover, this pilot study allows us to articulate the recommendations for further research in this direction.

Background. !e COVID-19 pandemic has been an unprecedented social and health emergency worldwide. Cross-cultural research on mental health during this situation is needed to better understand its consequences. Objective. To evaluate the di"erent psychological impacts of the crisis and lockdown situation during the #rst six weeks of COVID emergency measures in samples of the Spanish and Russian populations. Design. A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey (NSpain = 1041; NRussia = 743). !e prevalence of loneliness, depression, anxiety, perceived discrimination (PD), internalized stigma (IS), and perceived social support (PSS) was evaluated. Chi-square tests and t-tests were administered. The Enter Method were used to identify the predictors of the mental health impact. Results. Di"erences were found between the Russian and the Spanish populations. While the degrees of anxiety and depression did not di"er signi#cantly, loneliness, the alienation dimension of IS, and PD were more pronounced in the Russian respondents. In Spain, the predictor of less negative impact was PSS from various sources, while in Russia we only found PSS from the family. Conclusion. Although in both countries the impact at the clinical level seemed to be similar, di"erences were found at the psychosocial level. Variables with a strong cultural component may be key to determining the means of alleviating the e"ects of the crisis, with PSS being a fundamental protective factor. More crosssectional studies are needed to understand the impact of the pandemic in depth.