Online University Counselling Services and Psychological Problems among Italian Students in Lockdown Due to Covid-19

Abstract

Introduction: With the advent of Covid-19, Italian university students were overwhelmed by fear of the pandemic and the social restrictions of the lockdown phase, with all didactic activity provided online. These stress factors caused people to experience psychological problems and/or the aggravation of pre-existing mental symptomatology. Psychological support is, therefore, important for the university-student population. Aims: (1) Analyzing the psychological difficulties and mental problems relative to lockdown from Covid-19 of students who asked for help from the Center of Psychological Counseling of the University of Salerno. (2) Describing the online services of the university’s psychological counseling treatment. Participants: 266 university students, but only 49 were undergoing psychological treatment during the Covid-19 lockdown at the center. Methods: (1) Semistructured interview; (2) Questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information and ad hoc questions; and (3) Scl-90-r test. Results and Conclusions: Aim 1: The main results highlight high levels of anxiety and stress, concentration disorders, and psychosomatization. In several cases, there was a reactivation of previous traumas and sleep was found qualitatively compromised. Aim 2: Counseling services included telephone listening activities, online psychological interviews, psychoeducational groups for interventions of anxiety management, and workshops on study methods conducted in small groups. The online counseling intervention, in times of emergency, increased the resilience and identified any psychological problems in order to implement timely management.

Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Previous studies underlined the effectiveness of online support interventions, which have been carried out both to help students with problems inherent to their academic path (motivation and reorganization of the study) and to take care of their psychological, emotional, and relational needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic [ 15 , 25 , 26 ]. Specific interventions should thus be employed to manage the negative effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the psychological well-being of university students.…”

Engagement and Effectiveness of a Healthy-Coping Intervention via Chatbot for University Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Mixed Methods Proof-of-Concept Study

“…Previous studies analyzing the mental health of university students found lower levels of anxiety and stress symptoms, evaluated through the GAD-7 and the PSS-10 questionnaires, compared to those of our sample of university students [42][43][44]. This is not surprising, since the COVID-19 pandemic had a worsening effect on the general population and on university students in particular: a research study conducted on Italian university students to identify psychological consequences of the living conditions during the COVID-19 lockdown reported high levels of anxiety and stress, concentration disorders, psychosomatization, and, in several cases, reactivation of trauma and worsened sleep quality [46]. Moreover, from the time of our baseline assessment until the end of our study, the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy reached higher levels of infection, which required more severe restrictions to be introduced in schools and universities (ie, full online teaching) and in citizens' everyday lives.…”

Taking a Leap of Faith: A Study of Abruptly Transitioning an Undergraduate Medical Education Program to Distance-Learning Owing to the COVID-19 Pandemic

“…Student support was completely redefined during the acute transition to coping with isolation and learning simultaneously. High levels of anxiety and stress and the resurgence of pre-existing mental disorders identified through structured interviews were expected [ 31 ]. Addressing them through counseling and psychoeducational interventions was necessary.…”