Higher Education Students’ Mental State: Before and After the Post-COVID-19 Era

Background The most significant hurdle to academic achievement is mental health issues. Students with mental illness may struggle academically and socially, which may have a detrimental effect on their prospects of success in both their professional and personal lives. Objectives This paper aims to explore the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on the educational system, notably on the mental health of university students. It assesses the effects of isolation, social exclusion, social isolation, and quarantine on university students’ psychological and mental health before and after COVID-19. Methodology The present exploration took 330 male and female responses from 9 universities in Bangladesh psychically and online from March 2020 to February 2022 by using a structured questionnaire, when education institutions started their operations in full swing. The 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorders Scale (GAD-7) (Spitzer et al., 2006) was employed to assess participants’ general stress levels. Findings Findings from the research demonstrated that in contrast to the students who spent the majority of their time in the village both throughout and after the COVID-19 outbreak, the students who spent the majority of their time in the town experienced isolation from society, sleep problems, depression-related feelings of insecurity and uncertainty, and distraction from social media. On the other hand, people who spent the most time in the village throughout and following the COVID-19 outbreak, many had irregular eating habits and social media distractions. Practical uses The outcomes of this inquiry offer ideas and suggestions to reach desirable mental well-being for students in higher education both throughout and following the COVID-19 outbreak. The study’s shortcomings are the small sample size and respondents’ lack of interest.