Mental Health and COVID-19 in University Students: Findings from a Qualitative, Comparative Study in Italy and the UK

Abstract

Introduction: COVID-19 restrictions introduced several changes in university academic and social experience. Self-isolation and online teaching have amplified students’ mental health vulnerability. Thus, we aimed to explore feelings and perspectives about the impact of the pandemic on mental health, comparing students from Italy and the UK. Methods: Data were collected from the qualitative portion of “the CAMPUS study”, longitudinally assessing mental health of students at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Italy) and the University of Surrey (UK). We conducted in-depth interviews and thematically analysed the transcripts. Results: The explanatory model was developed from four themes identified across 33 interviews: anxiety exacerbated by COVID-19; putative mechanisms leading to poor mental health; the most vulnerable subgroups; and coping strategies. Generalised and social anxiety resulted from COVID-19 restrictions by being associated with loneliness, excessive time online, unhealthy management of time and space and poor communication with the university. Freshers, international students, and people on the extremes of the introversion/extroversion spectrum, were identified as vulnerable, while effective coping strategies included taking advantage of free time, connection with family and mental health support. The impact of COVID-19 was mostly related to academic issues by students from Italy, whereas to the drastic loss of social connectedness by the UK sample. Conclusions: Mental health support for students has an essential role, and measures that encourage communication and social connectedness are likely to be beneficial.

Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Levels among University Students: Three Years from the Beginning of the Pandemic

“…Reports from universities in the USA and France revealed that females were more likely to display distress and negative emotions during the COVID-19 period [ 10 , 11 ]. A qualitive, comparative study in Italy and the UK revealed additional risk factors that should be considered [ 12 ]. More specifically, it was observed that uncertainty about the future is a major stressor in young adults, alongside financial hardship and educational instability [ 12 ].…”

“…A qualitive, comparative study in Italy and the UK revealed additional risk factors that should be considered [ 12 ]. More specifically, it was observed that uncertainty about the future is a major stressor in young adults, alongside financial hardship and educational instability [ 12 ]. Additionally, students who needed psychological support before and during the pandemic were at higher risk [ 6 ].…”

University students' psychological distress during the COVID‐19 pandemic: A structural equation model of the role of resource loss and gain

“…Due to the mandatory army conscription in Israel among the Jewish population, the average age of university students tends to be older than in countries without mandatory army conscription (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2022). This is reflected in the current study as the average age of our sample was older than in other studies assessing the impacts of the pandemic on university students (e.g., Riboldi et al, 2023;Rogowska et al, 2020;, which limits the generalizability of our findings.…”

“…Other research has found that COVID‐19‐related concerns were directly related to depression and anxiety (Bitan et al, 2020; Commodari et al, 2021; Faisal et al, 2021; Reznik et al, 2021; Schiff et al, 2021; Wathelet et al, 2020), and that loss in resources during the pandemic was directly related to depression and anxiety (Ehmke et al, 2022; Riboldi et al, 2023; Voltmer et al, 2021). To the best of our knowledge, the current study appears to be the first to show the indirect pathways between these variables.…”

“…The COVID‐19 pandemic brought about even greater, rapid changes, challenges, and stressors (e.g., remote learning, a threat to wellbeing, isolation, etc.) which likely compounded these mental health concerns among many university students (Appleby et al, 2022; Atkinson et al, 2021; El‐Monshed et al, 2021; Heumann et al, 2023; Kaparounaki et al, 2020; Mutinda & Liu, 2021; Resch et al, 2022; Riboldi et al, 2023; Rogowska et al, 2020; Wang et al, 2020; Wathelet et al, 2020; Zainal Badri et al, 2021).…”