Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction University students’ lifestyle has changed dramatically due to the spread of COVID-19. They had to face adaptation to the online learning format, as well as strict and long-term restriction of social contacts. Objectives To trace the dynamics in the main indicators of mental health (d...

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Main Authors: L. Shaigerova, O. Almazova, A. Dolgikh, Y. Zinchenko
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press 2022-06-01
Series:European Psychiatry
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822012809/type/journal_article
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author L. Shaigerova
O. Almazova
A. Dolgikh
Y. Zinchenko
author_facet L. Shaigerova
O. Almazova
A. Dolgikh
Y. Zinchenko
author_sort L. Shaigerova
collection DOAJ
description Introduction University students’ lifestyle has changed dramatically due to the spread of COVID-19. They had to face adaptation to the online learning format, as well as strict and long-term restriction of social contacts. Objectives To trace the dynamics in the main indicators of mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) and mental wellbeing among students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods DASS (Lovibond, Lovibond, 1995) and WEMWBS (Tennant et al., 2007) were applied in the research. The study involved 733 students at Russian universities aged from 18 to 23 years (M=20.0; SD=3.23), of which 88.1% were girls. The same design was used in the spring (N=245), in the autumn of 2020 (N=270) and in the winter of 2021 (N=218). Results It was found that the indicators for all DASS scales significantly differ (p<0.05) across the three periods. With Post Hoc Scheffe, it was shown that the levels of depression, anxiety and stress in autumn 2020 and winter 2021 were significantly higher than in spring 2020 (p<0.05). The WEMWBS values differ significantly (p<0.05) throughout the periods. The level of mental wellbeing among students in spring 2020 was significantly higher than in autumn 2020 and in winter 2021 (p<0.05). Conclusions It was revealed that despite the rather severe restrictions in Russia at the beginning of the pandemic, and relatively mild measures taken afterwards (compared to many countries), the indicators of students’ mental health as well as the level of their mental well-being continued to decline. The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 20-04-60174. Disclosure No significant relationships.
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spelling doaj.art-ea7c9c22e9b54fb38bd79d70ee0ffddd2023-11-17T05:06:53ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852022-06-0165S503S50410.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.1280Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemicL. Shaigerova0O. Almazova1A. Dolgikh2Y. Zinchenko3Lomonosov Moscow State University, Psychology, Moscow, Russian FederationLomonosov Moscow State University, Psychology, Moscow, Russian FederationLomonosov Moscow State University, Psychology, Moscow, Russian FederationLomonosov Moscow State University, Psychology, Moscow, Russian Federation Introduction University students’ lifestyle has changed dramatically due to the spread of COVID-19. They had to face adaptation to the online learning format, as well as strict and long-term restriction of social contacts. Objectives To trace the dynamics in the main indicators of mental health (depression, anxiety, and stress) and mental wellbeing among students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods DASS (Lovibond, Lovibond, 1995) and WEMWBS (Tennant et al., 2007) were applied in the research. The study involved 733 students at Russian universities aged from 18 to 23 years (M=20.0; SD=3.23), of which 88.1% were girls. The same design was used in the spring (N=245), in the autumn of 2020 (N=270) and in the winter of 2021 (N=218). Results It was found that the indicators for all DASS scales significantly differ (p<0.05) across the three periods. With Post Hoc Scheffe, it was shown that the levels of depression, anxiety and stress in autumn 2020 and winter 2021 were significantly higher than in spring 2020 (p<0.05). The WEMWBS values differ significantly (p<0.05) throughout the periods. The level of mental wellbeing among students in spring 2020 was significantly higher than in autumn 2020 and in winter 2021 (p<0.05). Conclusions It was revealed that despite the rather severe restrictions in Russia at the beginning of the pandemic, and relatively mild measures taken afterwards (compared to many countries), the indicators of students’ mental health as well as the level of their mental well-being continued to decline. The reported study was funded by RFBR, project number 20-04-60174. Disclosure No significant relationships. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822012809/type/journal_articleuniversity studentsCovid-19mental healthmental well-being
spellingShingle L. Shaigerova
O. Almazova
A. Dolgikh
Y. Zinchenko
Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
European Psychiatry
university students
Covid-19
mental health
mental well-being
title Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
title_full Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
title_fullStr Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
title_full_unstemmed Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
title_short Dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic
title_sort dynamics of indicators of mental health and mental wellbeing among university students during the first year of the covid 19 pandemic
topic university students
Covid-19
mental health
mental well-being
url https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933822012809/type/journal_article
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