Associations between depression, fear of COVID-19 infection and students’ self-care measures used during the first wave of the pandemic

Abstract

Background COVID-19 lockdown resulted in the closure of schools with associated problems. The aim of this study was to determine the associations between depression, fear of contracting COVID-19 infection and the use of self-care measures by college students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods This was a cross-sectional study that collected data from undergraduate and postgraduate college students 18 years and older from 152 countries between June and December 2020. Study participants were recruited through crowdsourcing using various social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, WhatsApp groups and emails to participants in the collaborators’ networks. The dependent variables were fear of contracting COVID-19 and depression while the independent variable was students’ self-care measures. Multivariable logistic regression models were conducted to assess the associations between the dependent and independent variables. Results Of the 2840 respondents, 1305 (46.0%) had fears of contracting COVID-19 and 599 (21.1%) reported depression. The most common self-care measures were phone calls with friends/family (60.1%) and video chat (52.8%). Learning a new skill was significantly associated with higher odds of fear of contracting COVID-19 (AOR = 1.669) and lower odds of having depression (AOR = 0.684). Talking to friends/family through video chat (AOR = 0.809) was significantly associated with lower odds of feeling depressed while spending time with pets (AOR = 1.470) and taking breaks from the news/social media (AOR = 1.242) were significantly associated with higher odds of feeling depressed. Students from lower middle-income countries (AOR = 0.330) had significantly lower odds of feeling depressed than students from low-income countries. Conclusion Self-care strategies involving social interactions were associated with less depression. Coping strategies with more cognitive demands may significantly reduce the risk of fear of COVID-19. Special attention needs to be given to students in low-income countries who have higher odds of depression during the pandemic than students from other countries.

Psychological Capital and Self-Acceptance Modified the Association of Depressive Tendency with Self-Rated Health of College Students in China during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Elevated prevalence of anxiety was demonstrated in a study of Chinese medical students [15]. A recent study reported that 21.1% undergraduate and postgraduate college students (aging 18 years and older) from 152 countries reported depression [16]. In Shanghai, depressive symptoms dramatically increased in college students with the introduction of quarantine in periods 2 and 3 compared to period 1 [17].…”

Socio-economic factors associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms among adolescents and young people during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…Not only is there limited information on the prevalence of PTSS among various populations of adolescents and young people, but there is also a shortage of literature concerning factors that increase the risk for PTSS in this population. The risk of developing PTSS may be higher for females 16 , for those who are younger 17 and individuals with lower levels of education 18 . In addition, exposure to COVID-19 has been shown to increase the risk for PTSS 19 , whilst access to emotional and social support can reduce the risk for PTSS 14 .…”