Class of 2020 in Poland: Students’ Mental Health during the COVID-19 Outbreak in an Academic Setting

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had led universities to introduce lockdowns, which has led to significant shifts in students’ lives. Classes were moved online, students had to leave dorms and move; they had to forgo regular meetings with their peers. Subsequently, a vital demand for examining students’ mental health emerged. The data were collected at a time when universities in Poland were under lockdowns. Participants represented students of many different fields of study. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) was used. Student’s subjective evaluation of online learning and their adaptation to academic life shifts were reviewed. A total of 1123 participants took part in this study. Relationship analysis included tests, such as U Mann–Whitney, appropriate for specific variables. The impact of variables connected with the pandemic on the GHQ scores was tested using multivariate regression analysis. The results were considered significant at a p-value set at 0.05. Overall, 76.96% of the participants manifested psychopathological symptoms measured by the GHQ. Four demographical variables were possibly associated with the GHQ scores: female sex, living in a big city, necessity to move back home, and being in a relationship. Negative correlations between subjective evaluation of variables concerning e-learning, such as its efficiency or quality, and the GHQ scores were found. Some variables were found to be potential protective factors, whereas others could have contributed to worsened mental health. The study provides data on students’ worsened mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shifts in academic life it caused. Therefore, recommendations for early psychosocial interventions among students are strongly advised.

Remote learning among students with and without reading difficulties during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic

“…In that time many lockdown-type control measures were introduced, among others: use of public spaces remained banned, citizens were encouraged to strict self-isolation and social distancing, social life and physical activities were reduced to the minimum, non-family gatherings were limited to two people, non-essential travel was forbidden, individuals were required to wear face coverings in public spaces and keep a social distance of minimum 1,5 m, minors were forbidden go outside unaccompanied. The state of epidemic emergency introduced in March-April 2020 influenced negatively the psychological well-being of Polish university students raising the level of depression, anxiety, and stress (Debowska et al, 2020;Rogowska et al, 2020;Szczepańska & Pietrzyka, 2021;Talarowska et al, 2020;Wieczorek et al, 2021).…”

The Impact of Study Mode (Online vs. Hybrid) on Early Symptoms of Depression and Coping Strategies among University Students in Poland in Time of COVID-19 Pandemic—Preliminary Study

“…FACTOR II_NEGATIVE THOUGHTS (Cronbach α = 0.823) comprised five questions: (10) in the last 6 to 12 months, have you experienced any intrusive thoughts that you find difficult to get rid of?-Factor load 0.468. (11) During the past 6-12 months, have you ever wondered why you did not act differently in certain situations?-Factor load 0.567.…”

Os efeitos psicológicos do distanciamento social causado pelo novo Coronavírus em estudantes universitários

“…A saúde mental dos estudantes no ensino superior, que é uma preocupação de saúde pública crescente, foi ainda mais agravada pela atual pandemia (Wathelet et al, 2020;Son et al, 2020). A COVID-19 provocou mudanças significativas na vida dos alunos com o fechamento das universidades e transferência do ensino para a modalidade online (Wieczorek et al, 2021), além da diminuição ou eliminação das interações sociais e atividades culturais, se tornando um fator de estresse adicional para a saúde mental desta população (Kohls, Baldofski, Moeller, Klemm, & Rummel-Kluge, 2021).…”

“…Medidas de quarentena, distanciamento ou isolamento social foram associadas significativamente ao risco de transtornos mentais e estudantes universitários parecem ter sido negativamente impactados pela COVID-19 (Brooks et al, 2020;Mota et al, 2021;Yang et al, 2021) com aumento de sintomas de ansiedade, depressão e outros transtornos psiquiátricos (Wieczorek et al, 2021). Ordens de lockdown, fechamento das escolas e confinamento em casa aumentam o risco de sofrimento emocional (Kohls et al, 2021;Fruehwirth; Biswas; Perreira, 2021) nessa população.…”

“…Outra pesquisa conduzida com estudantes universitários espanhóis por Garvey et al (2021), para averiguar como estavam se sentindo após um mês de rígido confinamento, identificou que 18,7% deles sofriam de ansiedade severa e 70,2% apresentavam sintomas de ansiedade em grau leve ou moderado, tendo as mulheres expressado os níveis mais elevados. Wieczorek et al (2021), constaram em um estudo realizado na Polônia com estudantes de graduação que, alunos do primeiro ano e mulheres tinham risco aumentado para transtornos psiquiátricos. De acordo com os autores, as universidades tem um importante papel no desenvolvimento da identidade e sentimento de pertencimento dos jovens na sociedade, portanto devem assumir o desafio de não apenas continuar com a transmissão do conhecimento de forma eficiente, mas também garantir a continuidade da construção da comunidade estudantil e das relações professor-aluno por meio das novas tecnologias.…”