Mental Health of University Students During and After COVID-19
Author Information
Author(s): Allen Rosie E., Hochard Kevin D., Kannangara Chathurika, Carson Jerome
Primary Institution: University of Bolton
Hypothesis
There would be a significant improvement in the overall mental health of university students in the post-pandemic period across measures of mental illness and of positive mental wellbeing.
Conclusion
Students' mental health is still in crisis, even after the COVID-19 pandemic, with psychological distress and generalised anxiety remaining considerably worse than pre-pandemic norms.
Supporting Evidence
- Psychological distress levels spiked in May 2021 but returned to similar levels seen in May 2020 by May 2022.
- Generalised anxiety gradually improved but remained higher than pre-pandemic norms.
- Students' flourishing scores remained very low throughout the study period.
Takeaway
University students have been feeling very sad and anxious because of COVID-19, and even after things got better, they still need help to feel good again.
Methodology
A two-year longitudinal study surveyed university students three times between May 2020 and May 2022, assessing psychological distress, generalised anxiety, flourishing, and personal wellbeing.
Potential Biases
The sample was predominantly female, which may influence the results and their applicability to the broader student population.
Limitations
High attrition rate of 80.8% and reliance on self-report measures may affect the generalizability of findings.
Participant Demographics
At T0, participants were mostly female (76.5%) with a mean age of 24.6.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.001
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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