Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of university students in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE. Methods A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions. Results Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate to severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 = 9.51 ± 6.39 and 6.80 ± 6.34; p = 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 = 9.03 ± 6.00 and 8.54 ± 6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ± 5.86 vs. 6.83 ± 6.25, respectively; p < 0.001) than the non-impacted females (mean GAD-7 of 9.57 ± 6.32 vs. 5.15 ± 3.88, respectively; p = 0.005). Never married students had significantly higher PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores than ever-married (9.31 ± 6.37 vs. 6.93 ± 5.47, P = 0.003) and (8.89 ± 6.11 vs. 7.13 ± 5.49, respectively; p = 0.017). Conclusions The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Assessment of Mental Wellness Amongst the Faculty and Students of an Educational Institute in the State of Himachal Pradesh, India — Post Lockdown during COVID-19

“…[12] Consistent engagement with patients and working environment in dental institution exacerbated mental well being and this observation was analogous to previous research during lockdown phase. [3,18] Females were more affected psychologically in comparison to males and gender differences exerted significant influence corresponding with earlier research during lockdown phase. [3,15,18] Thus males had better resilience in dealing with COVID crisis.…”

“…[3,18] Females were more affected psychologically in comparison to males and gender differences exerted significant influence corresponding with earlier research during lockdown phase. [3,15,18] Thus males had better resilience in dealing with COVID crisis. One-fifth detected strained relationships which was less when compared with students studying in western university and this could be related to cultural differences and societal mindset.…”

“…[2,17] Half of the respondents noticed sleep deprivation which triggered anxiety and depression corresponding with other studies. [3,4,5,18] Insomnia escalated psychological well-being and the effect were manifested with greater than one-third experiencing depression and anxiety which was slightly less in connection with similar research. [3,18] The addiction to deleterious habits for instance smoking and alcohol amongst the subjects was significantly less and this applied to improvement in lifestyle and adoption of healthy habits probably because of COVID-19, [12] however the addiction to substance abuse was significant in a study involving medical grads, [2] and German University Students during COVID.…”

“…[3,4,5,18] Insomnia escalated psychological well-being and the effect were manifested with greater than one-third experiencing depression and anxiety which was slightly less in connection with similar research. [3,18] The addiction to deleterious habits for instance smoking and alcohol amongst the subjects was significantly less and this applied to improvement in lifestyle and adoption of healthy habits probably because of COVID-19, [12] however the addiction to substance abuse was significant in a study involving medical grads, [2] and German University Students during COVID. [17] The impact on eating habits because of pandemic was considerably less but varied with previous research, [17] and this could be related to subjection to home-cooked food during pandemic.…”

From Academic Resilience to Academic Burnout among International University Students during the Post-COVID-19 New Normal: An Empirical Study in Taiwan

“…University students dealt with an unconventional reorganization of learning activities coupled with a wide range of psychological, financial, and relational issues [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. Studies focusing on the psychological consequences of the pandemic among university students have reported negative mental health impacts such as stress, depression, and anxiety [ 8 , 9 , 10 ]. A few investigations conducted in Taiwan during the COVID-19 crisis showed similar results.…”