Psychological Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown among University Students in Malaysia: Implications and Policy Recommendations

Sundarasen, Sheela; Chinna, Karuthan; Kamaludin, Kamilah; Nurunnabi, Mohammad; Baloch, Gul Mohammad; Khoshaim, Heba Bakr; Hossain, Syed Far Abid; Sukayt, Areej

doi:10.3390/ijerph17176206

Cited by 493 publications

(529 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Also, the results showed that female students were psychologically affected significantly more than male students. This result supports the previous studies conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic in which depression, fear and anxiety were significantly higher among the females compared to males [ 47 , 55 , 56 , 57 , 58 , 59 ]. This could be due to that females express emotions to a greater extent than males do, and the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased this situation [ 60 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

“…As a result of the increase in the time spend on social media, the students have become more exposed to read, heard, or see news related to the COVID-19 and therefore they were psychologically affected. Similar findings were previously mentioned in the studies conducting during the COVID-19 pandemic [ 44 , 45 , 46 , 47 , 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. It was reported that the students were experiencing psychological issues related to panic, depression, stress, anger, anxiety, sadness, fear confusion, as well as social dysfunction during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

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The role of social media in spreading panic among primary and secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online questionnaire study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Radwan

Radwan³

2020

Heliyon

101

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Background The rapid outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has opened up various issues on social media platforms among school students. The dangerous issue is that misinformation, fake news, and rumours spread on social media faster than reliable information, and also faster than the virus itself, damaging the health systems and affecting the mental health of social media users. Objective The current study aims at determining how social media affects the spread of panic about COVID-19 among primary and secondary school students in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Methods The data were collected through an online questionnaire. By utilizing convenience sampling, we have reached a total of 1067 school students, aged between 6 and 18 years, from 56 schools located in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. Independent Samples T-test, ANOVA, and chi-square tests were used to compare the data. Results The results showed that social media has a significant impact on spreading panic about COVID-19 among school students, with a potential negative impact on their mental health and psychological well-being. Facebook was the most common social media platform among students (81.8%), where female students had a higher likelihood than male students to use it to get news about COVID-19 (p < 0.001). Health news was the most frequently topic seen, read, or heard (n = 529, 56.2%) during the COVID-19 pandemic, where males were more likely to follow health news than females (p < 0.001). The majority of the students (n = 736, 78.1%) were psychologically affected, whereas those physically affected were the lowest (n = 12, 1.3%). Female students were psychologically affected and experienced greater fear significantly more than male students (p < 0.001). The effect of social media panic depending on a student's age and gender. (p < 0.001). This study showed a significant positive correlation between social media and spreading panic about COVID-19 (R = 0.891). Conclusions During the closure of schools, students are using social media to continue their learning as well as to know more information about the COVID-19 outbreak. Social media has a main role in rapidly spreading of panic about the COVID-19 pandemic among students in the Gaza Strip.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

The role of social media in spreading panic among primary and secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online questionnaire study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Radwan

Radwan³

2020

Heliyon

101

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Meanwhile, women are more concerned about impacts on their professional career and ability to study than men, on average [ 10 ]. One study attributed these gender differences to greater emotional expression, less tolerance for uncertainty, and less-effective coping strategies amongst students who are women [ 75 ]. Women have also reported being more susceptible to "emotional hunger" and subsequent increased food intake than men during COVID-19 quarantine; these behaviors can lead to weight gain and poor mental health [ 73 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Younger people also engage in social media more than older people during the pandemic [ 12 , 82 ]. Given the dominance of the COVID-19 pandemic in the news, younger "always-on" students may be exposed to greater amounts of risk-elevating messages, which can lead to anxiety and poor mental health [ 16 , 75 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States

et al. 2021

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Background University students are increasingly recognized as a vulnerable population, suffering from higher levels of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and disordered eating compared to the general population. Therefore, when the nature of their educational experience radically changes—such as sheltering in place during the COVID-19 pandemic—the burden on the mental health of this vulnerable population is amplified. The objectives of this study are to 1) identify the array of psychological impacts COVID-19 has on students, 2) develop profiles to characterize students' anticipated levels of psychological impact during the pandemic, and 3) evaluate potential sociodemographic, lifestyle-related, and awareness of people infected with COVID-19 risk factors that could make students more likely to experience these impacts. Methods Cross-sectional data were collected through web-based questionnaires from seven U.S. universities. Representative and convenience sampling was used to invite students to complete the questionnaires in mid-March to early-May 2020, when most coronavirus-related sheltering in place orders were in effect. We received 2,534 completed responses, of which 61% were from women, 79% from non-Hispanic Whites, and 20% from graduate students. Results Exploratory factor analysis on close-ended responses resulted in two latent constructs, which we used to identify profiles of students with latent profile analysis, including high (45% of sample), moderate (40%), and low (14%) levels of psychological impact. Bivariate associations showed students who were women, were non-Hispanic Asian, in fair/poor health, of below-average relative family income, or who knew someone infected with COVID-19 experienced higher levels of psychological impact. Students who were non-Hispanic White, above-average social class, spent at least two hours outside, or less than eight hours on electronic screens were likely to experience lower levels of psychological impact. Multivariate modeling (mixed-effects logistic regression) showed that being a woman, having fair/poor general health status, being 18 to 24 years old, spending 8 or more hours on screens daily, and knowing someone infected predicted higher levels of psychological impact when risk factors were considered simultaneously. Conclusion Inadequate efforts to recognize and address college students’ mental health challenges, especially during a pandemic, could have long-term consequences on their health and education.

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“…The MCO was lifted in June 2020 but the rate of spread of COVID-19 in the country was not fully under control. Fear of being infected with COVID- 19 and uncertainty about the future resulting from the socioeconomic downfall and academic disruption stemming from this global pandemic have enormous psychological effects on university students [3][4][5][6][7].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quality of life of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the level of quality of life and the associated factors after the end of movement lockdown

Abdullah

Murad

Teoh

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Purpose: Despite the significant impact of COVID-19 on mental health among university students, data on the related quality of life (QoL) are lacking in this group of the population. This study aimed to evaluate quality of life (QoL) and determine its association with various factors and social support among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic after the end of movement lockdown. Methods: This was an online, cross-sectional study recruited a total of 316 participants. Participants were administered a self-reported questionnaire to gather data on demographic, personal, clinical and psychological characteristics; the 21-item depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS-21) to assess the severity of their depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms; the multidimensional scale of perceived social support (MSPSS) to assess the degree of social support; and the World Health Organization quality of life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) to assess QoL. Results: The psychological and social QoL scores were lower than the non-pandemic norms of the general population, while the physical health and environmental QoL scores were comparable. After adjusting for relevant demographic, personal, and clinical variables, religious coping; greater number of hours of online classes attended; and greater social support from family, friends and significant others were found to be significantly associated with higher QoL among the participants. Frustration because of study disruption, living in areas with a high prevalence of COVID-19 cases, and a higher severity of depressive and stress symptoms were significantly associated with lower QoL. Conclusion: COVID-19 impaired the QoL of university students even after the movement lockdown was lifted.

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Psychological Impact of COVID-19 and Lockdown among University Students in Malaysia: Implications and Policy Recommendations

Cited by 493 publications

References 52 publications

The role of social media in spreading panic among primary and secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online questionnaire study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine

The role of social media in spreading panic among primary and secondary school students during the COVID-19 pandemic: An online questionnaire study from the Gaza Strip, Palestine

Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States

Quality of life of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: Assessing the level of quality of life and the associated factors after the end of movement lockdown

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