Predictive factors of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students: a cross-cultural study in six Ibero-American countries

Abstract

Previous studies during the Covid-19 pandemic reported particularly high prevalence of anxiety and depression among university students, suggesting that they can be a vulnerable group at greater risk than the general population for developing psychological disorders in situations of confinement. However, the impact varied between countries and individuals, concluding that sociocultural and individual differences could condition this impact. Based on this evidence, the psychological impact of the pandemic on Ibero-American students was investigated. A battery of questionnaires was administered to a large sample of 7601 university students (72% female) from six different Spanish-speaking countries: Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Spain, Mexico, and Uruguay and were compared with a sample of general population (n = 51211). Descriptive analyses indicated a high prevalence (46.15%) of distress among university students, independent of country and significantly higher than in general population (28.27%). Greater feelings of loneliness and greater neuroticism were significantly associated with anxiety, depression, and somatisation. Likewise, male gender and higher levels of resilience resulted as protective factors, while posttraumatic growth was also higher in men and was associated with higher levels of resilience, perceived competence, and responsibility. The data suggest the need to consider individual risk factors such as being a woman, presenting higher levels of neuroticism and loneliness in understanding the psychological impact of the pandemic in university students. It is concluded that universities should offer specific interventions to address mental health problems, complementary to the health system of each country to manage the added complications of the crisis events on students’ mental health.

The Third Half: A Pilot Study Using Evidence-Based Psychological Strategies to Promote Well-Being among Doctoral Students

“…Accordingly, this innovative pilot intervention has put together five evidence-based components for psychological improvement, and as hypothesized, has been effective in increasing ECRs’ well-being and decreasing psychological distress. It should be noted that the intervention axes of the Third Half had the fundamental objective of reducing social isolation and loneliness, being main risks for depression and anxiety among students during and after the pandemic [ 11 ]. It is also worth noting, in terms of quality assessment, that participants valued the intervention satisfactorily, with scores near the upper limit of the rank in the assessment of the learning process, as can be seen in Table 5 .…”

“…Investments in well-being promotion among educational settings, as a public health strategy to support sanitary systems, would not only benefit the academic community, but it would also benefit public health services as a preventive strategy that could reduce the need for clinical assistance in mental health. A need that has dramatically increased during and after the COVID-19 pandemic around the world [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Accordingly, further research on effective mental health training is highly encouraged to assess and analyse their impact on doctoral students’ mental health and to continue advancing towards more sustainable and healthier research environments in doctoral communities, as a priority of the ERA [ 1 , 2 , 24 , 25 , 37 ], but also as a development goal and an urgent call within higher education and developed and developing societies working for peace and prosperity [ 27 , 28 , 38 ].…”

“…In response to the psychological impact of the pandemic [ 9 , 11 ], during October 2021, the Doctoral School and Vice-Rectorate of Campus, Sustainability, and Territory of the UAB contacted the Mental Health Research Network [ 36 ] and requested the design and implementation of a well-being program among doctoral students, to be assessed as a pilot study during the second semester of the 2021–2022 academic year. This Network contacted the Unit of Coaching and Academic Support (UCAA-SPL) [ 39 ] that accepted the request, not just to design and implement a training program but also to assess its impact on doctoral students’ well-being.…”

“…This trend was also reported in public Catalan universities, showing that researchers with temporary employment contracts reported worse mental health: despite being the youngest group, they showed more stress symptoms and less job satisfaction when compared to both professors and full-time researchers with stable contracts [ 6 ]. This situation has worsened because of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on mental health, showing that around 45% of the academic community presents anxious-depressive symptoms, a prevalence nine points higher than in the general population [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ], and with students showing a prevalence that reaches 53% in Ibero-american countries, with loneliness being one of the main risk factors for psychological distress during the pandemic [ 11 ]. The situation is similar in doctoral students of other European countries such as Belgium [ 5 ] or the Netherlands [ 12 ], in which no less than 47% of PhD students were at risk of developing a psychiatric disorder and 39% showed severe symptoms of burnout.…”