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Academic Community in the Face of Emergency Situations: Sense of Responsible Togetherness and Sense of Belonging as Protective Factors against Academic Stress during COVID-19 Outbreak

Author

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  • Fortuna Procentese

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy)

  • Vincenza Capone

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy)

  • Daniela Caso

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy)

  • Anna Rosa Donizzetti

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy)

  • Flora Gatti

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80133 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

In the face of emergency situations, such as a global pandemic, individuals rely on their personal resources, but also on community dimensions, to deal with the unprecedented changes and risks and to safeguard their well-being. The present study specifically addresses the role of individual resources and community dimensions with reference to academic communities facing COVID-19-related lockdowns and the changes that these have implied. An online questionnaire was administered to 1124 Italian University students. It detected their sense of belonging and of responsible togetherness with reference to their academic community through community dimensions, their student self-efficacy as an individual resource, and their academic stress—potentially stemming from studying in the middle of a pandemic. A multiple mediation model was been run with structural equation modeling. The results show that both the community dimensions associate with higher student self-efficacy and the sense of responsible togetherness, while also associating with lower academic stress. Moreover, student self-efficacy, in turn, associates with lower academic stress and mediates the relationships between both community dimensions and students’ academic stress levels. From these findings, the protective role that community dimensions can exert on an individual’s life becomes apparent. Building on this, further strategies should be implemented to reinforce personal and community resources in order to strengthen individuals against potentially stressful circumstances.

Suggested Citation

  • Fortuna Procentese & Vincenza Capone & Daniela Caso & Anna Rosa Donizzetti & Flora Gatti, 2020. "Academic Community in the Face of Emergency Situations: Sense of Responsible Togetherness and Sense of Belonging as Protective Factors against Academic Stress during COVID-19 Outbreak," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:22:p:9718-:d:448818
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Vincenza Capone & Daniela Caso & Anna Rosa Donizzetti & Fortuna Procentese, 2020. "University Student Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Outbreak: What Are the Relationships between Information Seeking, Perceived Risk and Personal Resources Related to the Academic Context?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Tyler Renshaw & Alex Cohen, 2014. "Erratum to: Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 335-335, May.
    3. Tyler Renshaw & Alex Cohen, 2014. "Life Satisfaction as a Distinguishing Indicator of College Student Functioning: Further Validation of the Two-Continua Model of Mental Health," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 117(1), pages 319-334, May.
    4. Elvira Cicognani & Claudia Pirini & Corey Keyes & Mohsen Joshanloo & Reza Rostami & Masoud Nosratabadi, 2008. "Social Participation, Sense of Community and Social Well Being: A Study on American, Italian and Iranian University Students," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 89(1), pages 97-112, October.
    5. Amy Doolittle & Anna C. Faul, 2013. "Civic Engagement Scale," SAGE Open, , vol. 3(3), pages 21582440134, July.
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    3. Misato Uehara & Makoto Fujii & Kazuki Kobayashi & Yasuto Hayashi & Yuki Arai, 2021. "Common Factors of Stress Change under the First COVID-19 Outbreak as Observed in Four Global Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, May.
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