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Psychological Distress among Students in Higher Education: One Year after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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  • Emilie Schmits

    (Psychologie Clinique de la Délinquance, Unité de Recherche Adaptation, Résilience et Changement, Faculté de Psychologie, Logopédie et Sciences de l’Education, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium)

  • Sarah Dekeyser

    (Centre d’Etude du Comportement Social, Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Olivier Klein

    (Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Bruxelles, Belgium)

  • Olivier Luminet

    (Centre d’Etude du Comportement Social, Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Vincent Yzerbyt

    (Centre d’Etude du Comportement Social, Institut de Recherche en Sciences Psychologiques, Faculté de Psychologie et des Sciences de l’Education, Université Catholique de Louvain-la-Neuve, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium)

  • Fabienne Glowacz

    (Psychologie Clinique de la Délinquance, Unité de Recherche Adaptation, Résilience et Changement, Faculté de Psychologie, Logopédie et Sciences de l’Education, Université de Liège, 4000 Liège, Belgium)

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the psychological well-being of students. Several stressors (such as socioeconomic and education-related contexts) could influence mental health, as well as individual and relational dimensions. This study proposes to evaluate the predictive effect of these factors on anxiety and depressive symptoms among students in higher education one year after the beginning of the pandemic. A sample of 23,307 students (Mage = 20.89; SD = 1.96; 69.08% of women) was assessed through an online self-report questionnaire including adapted and validated measures. The main rates were as follows: 50.6% of students presented anxiety symptoms; 55.1% reported depressive symptoms; 20.8% manifested suicidal ideations; 42.4% saw their financial situation deteriorate; 39.1% felt they were dropping out of school. One year after the beginning of the pandemic, students in higher education are anxious and depressed, especially those who identify as women (for both anxiety and depression) and as a non-binary gender (only for anxiety), experience a deterioration in their financial situation, are dropping out of school, or manifest hostility (for both anxiety and depression). The degree of study affects the symptoms’ severity (Bachelor 2 and 3 for anxiety and Master for depression). Contact with family and friends (for both anxiety and depression) as well as regular physical activity (only for depression) should provide some protection against psychological distress. Policy-makers must make a long-term investment in the well-being and positive mental health of the student community.

Suggested Citation

  • Emilie Schmits & Sarah Dekeyser & Olivier Klein & Olivier Luminet & Vincent Yzerbyt & Fabienne Glowacz, 2021. "Psychological Distress among Students in Higher Education: One Year after the Beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(14), pages 1-10, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7445-:d:592963
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Md Akhtarul Islam & Sutapa Dey Barna & Hasin Raihan & Md Nafiul Alam Khan & Md Tanvir Hossain, 2020. "Depression and anxiety among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A web-based cross-sectional survey," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(8), pages 1-12, August.
    2. Kathrin Wunsch & Janis Fiedler & Philip Bachert & Alexander Woll, 2021. "The Tridirectional Relationship among Physical Activity, Stress, and Academic Performance in University Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    3. Chaturvedi, Kunal & Vishwakarma, Dinesh Kumar & Singh, Nidhi, 2021. "COVID-19 and its impact on education, social life and mental health of students: A survey," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 121(C).
    4. Ruba Abdelmatloub Moawad, 2020. "Online Learning during the COVID- 19 Pandemic and Academic Stress in University Students," Revista romaneasca pentru educatie multidimensionala - Journal for Multidimensional Education, Editura Lumen, Department of Economics, vol. 12(1Sup2), pages 100-107, June.
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    Cited by:

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    2. Seema Mihrshahi & Putu Novi Arfirsta Dharmayani & Janaki Amin & Alexandra Bhatti & Josephine Y. Chau & Rimante Ronto & Diana Turnip & Melanie Taylor, 2022. "Higher Prevalence of Food Insecurity and Psychological Distress among International University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Australian Perspective," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-14, October.
    3. Fabienne Glowacz & Amandine Dziewa & Emilie Schmits, 2022. "Intimate Partner Violence and Mental Health during Lockdown of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(5), pages 1-16, February.
    4. Aldo Bazán-Ramírez & Miguel Tresierra-Ayala & Walter Capa-Luque & Marina Cossío-Reynaga & Juan Quijano-Pacheco, 2022. "Challenges and Difficulties Related to the Professional Performance and Training of Peruvian Medical Residents during a Pandemic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-16, October.
    5. Fabienne Glowacz & Emilie Schmits & Annabelle Kinard, 2022. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Crisis on the Practices and Mental Health of Psychologists in Belgium: Between Exhaustion and Resilience," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-19, November.

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