COVID‐19 and mental health among at‐risk university students: A prospective study into risk and protective factors

Koelen, Jurrijn; Mansueto, Alessandra C.; Finnemann, Adam; Koning, Lisa de; Heijde, C.M. van der; Vonk, Peter; Wolters, Nine; Klein, Anke M.; Epskamp, Sacha; Wiers, Reínout W.

doi:10.1002/mpr.1901

Cited by 24 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 40 publications

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“…No study was conducted with medical students and, moreover, the majority analyzed data collected at the beginning of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Two of those studies had results different from ours: mental health problems and stress increased during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic [ 29 , 30 ]. On the other hand, another study made with university students found no clinically significant changes in mental health symptoms, in line with our study [ 31 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Mental Health of Medical Students Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: a 3-Year Prospective Study

et al. 2022

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Background Very few studies prospectively analyzed medical students’ mental health before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate mental health in medical students in 2018, 2019, and 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methods All students from first to fourth year were invited to participate in 2018. These students were also invited to participate in the same period in 2019 and 2020 (during the peak of the COVID-19 lockdown). The Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20), created by the WHO to investigate 20 nonpsychotic psychiatric symptoms, was used to evaluate common mental disorders. The cut-off for relevant symptom severity for mental distress is seven (SRQ-20 ≥ 7). Results In the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, a total of 860 SRQ-20 questionnaires were completed. Overall, mean SRQ-20 scores were 8.2 ± 4.6, and SRQ-20 ≥ 7 frequency was 60.5%. When comparing the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, no differences were found for either SRQ-20 scores (8.4 ± 4.7, 8.2 ± 4.6, and 7.8 ± 4.4, respectively; p = 0.351) or SRQ-20 ≥ 7 frequency (62.2%, 60.9%, and 59.2%, respectively; p = 0.762). Conclusion In contrast to our initial hypothesis, stable results on mental health measures were found even during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown. Maintenance of daily routines through distance learning and the continuation of adapted clerkship activities with strict safety measures could have contributed to these results. However, this study points to high overall levels of common mental disorders, especially among women. Further studies should be conducted to understand all the factors responsible for such stability, such as social and economic support, resilience, or even previous high levels of common mental disorders.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 69%

Mental Health of Medical Students Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: a 3-Year Prospective Study

et al. 2022

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“…The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic appears to be another challenging phenomenon for college students (5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). With the onset of the pandemic, hitherto unknown conditions arose in their lives.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Somatic Symptoms, Anxiety, and Depression Among College Students in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Gavurová

Ivanková

Rigelský

et al. 2022

Front. Public Health

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Studying in college can be a challenging time for many students, which can affect their mental health. In addition to academic pressure and stressful tasks, another aggravating factor in student life is the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and somatic symptoms in Czech and Slovak college students during the COVID-19 pandemic and to evaluate possible socio-demographic determinants of mental health problems. A total of 3,099 respondents participated in this cross-sectional study (Czech Republic: 1,422, Slovakia: 1,677). The analyzes included the Patient Health Questionnaire for somatic symptoms (PHQ-15), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder instrument (GAD-7), and the Patient Health Questionnaire for depression (PHQ-9). Socio-demographic factors were gender, age, family structure, marital status, form of study, degree of study, year of study, field of study, distance between home and college, residence, and housing during the semester. Among Czech students, prevalence of somatic complaints, anxiety and depression was 72.2, 40.3, and 52%, respectively. Among Slovak students, prevalence of somatic complaints, anxiety and depression was 69.5, 34.6, and 47%, respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the most severe mental health problems were identified in a non-negligible part of the sample (Czech Republic: PHQ-15 = 10.1%, GAD-7 = 4.9%, PHQ-9 = 3.4%; Slovakia: PHQ-15 = 7.4%, GAD-7 = 3.5%, PHQ-9 = 2.7%). Regarding the differences between the analyzed countries, a significantly higher score in somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression was identified in the Czech Republic. Significant differences in mental disorders were found in most socio-demographic characteristics. The main results of the logistic regression analysis revealed that risk factors for mental health disorders in Czech and Slovak students were female gender, younger age, third degree of study, and study of Informatics, Mathematics, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Especially in the case of these high-risk groups of students, public policies should consider a response to impending problems. The findings are an appeal for a proactive approach to improving the mental health of students and for the implementation of effective prevention programs, which are more than necessary in the Czech and Slovak college environment.

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“…When kids are overly silent and lack communication in class, teachers might detect this circumstance. When mental stress leads to violent student behavior or an increase in suicide attempts, this can lead to out-of-control occurrences (Koelen et al, 2022). As a result, the execution of creative project work will create possibilities for students to cooperate and communicate with teachers and colleagues while it is being implemented.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Creative Project Work as A 21st-Century Education Tool

Poobalan¹,

Asman²,

Talip³

et al. 2022

IJARPED

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COVID‐19 and mental health among at‐risk university students: A prospective study into risk and protective factors

Cited by 24 publications

References 40 publications

Mental Health of Medical Students Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: a 3-Year Prospective Study

Mental Health of Medical Students Before and During COVID-19 Pandemic: a 3-Year Prospective Study

Somatic Symptoms, Anxiety, and Depression Among College Students in the Czech Republic and Slovakia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Creative Project Work as A 21st-Century Education Tool

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