Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Wellbeing at Universities in the United Kingdom: A Conceptual Analysis

Burns, Danielle; Dagnall, Neil; Holt, Maxine

doi:10.3389/feduc.2020.582882

Cited by 155 publications

(157 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Several population-based surveys have also revealed that students report a higher prevalence of depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms [27,28]. Studies on student populations throughout the world [29][30][31], including in Malaysia [32], have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic has put a strain on their mental health. The main reasons for students experiencing heightened psychological distress include economic effects, changes in academic activities, difficulties adapting to online distance learning methods and uncertainty about the future with regard to academics and careers.…”

Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey

et al. 2021

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Since the first nationwide movement control order was implemented on 18 March 2020 in Malaysia to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, to what extent the uncertainty and continuous containment measures have imposed psychological burdens on the population is unknown. This study aimed to measure the level of mental health of the Malaysian public approximately 2 months after the pandemic’s onset. Between 12 May and 5 September 2020, an anonymous online survey was conducted. The target group included all members of the Malaysian population aged 18 years and above. The Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. There were increased depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms throughout the study period, with the depression rates showing the greatest increase. During the end of the data collection period (4 August–5 September 2020), there were high percentages of reported depressive (59.2%) and anxiety (55.1%) symptoms compared with stress (30.6%) symptoms. Perceived health status was the strongest significant predictor for depressive and anxiety symptoms. Individuals with a poorer health perception had higher odds of developing depression (odds ratio [OR] = 5.68; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.81–8.47) and anxiety (OR = 3.50; 95%CI 2.37–5.17) compared with those with a higher health perception. By demographics, young people–particularly students, females and people with poor financial conditions–were more vulnerable to mental health symptoms. These findings provide an urgent call for increased attention to detect and provide intervention strategies to combat the increasing rate of mental health problems in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Section: Plos Onementioning

confidence: 99%

Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey

et al. 2021

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“…Wills-Herrera et al (2009) argued that the interaction amongst individual, social and culture and how these multidimensional variables interact with each other affect an individual's development. In higher education, many researchers primarily focused on student well-being (e.g., Burns et al, 2020;Cooke et al, 2006;Salami, 2010). To highlight a few, Zhai andDu (2020), andElmer et al (2020) focused on the issue of student well-being in the dynamic of mental health.…”

Section: Cultivation Of Whole Person Development Through Online Learningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Amidst the already growing challenges of the COVID-19 in the development of student competence, the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are further magnified on students’ mental and physical wellbeing (Burns et al., 2020). The shift from the conventional face-to-face classroom to online learning has challenged students’ ability to transition under the COVID-19 circumstances.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption on university teaching and learning and competence cultivation: Student evaluation of online learning experiences in Hong Kong

Mok¹,

Xiong²,

Rahman³

2021

International Journal of Chinese Education

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The COVID-19 pandemic outbreak has forced online teaching and learning to be the primary instruction format in higher education globally. One of the worrying concerns about online learning is whether this method is effective, specifically when compared to face-to-face classes. This descriptive quantitative study investigates how students in higher education institutions in Hong Kong evaluated their online learning experiences during the pandemic, including the factors influencing their digital learning experiences. By analysing the survey responses from 1,227 university students in Hong Kong, this study found that most of the respondents felt dissatisfied with their online learning experiences and effectiveness. Meanwhile, this study confirms that respondents’ household income level and information technology literacy affected their online learning effectiveness. Moreover, this study highlights the significant contributions of the community of inquiry, which places social presence on the promotion of a whole person development that could not be achieved when relying mainly on online learning. Findings encourage university leaders and instructors to search for multiple course delivery modes to nurture students to become caring leaders with the 21st century skills and knowledge set.

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“…The partial closure of universities, remote delivery of teaching and support services, social isolation of students who are unable to return home, and the level of uncertainty regarding teaching and support are all suggested to have impacted the mental health and wellbeing of university students (Burns et al, 2020). Consequently, there has been a clear demand for universities to develop action plans to address mental health issues that have been caused or exacerbated by COVID-19 (Zhai and Du, 2020).…”

Section: The Impact Of Covid-19mentioning

confidence: 99%

A ‘PERMA’ Response to the Pandemic: An Online Positive Education Programme to Promote Wellbeing in University Students

Morgan¹,

Simmons²

2021

Front. Educ.

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Pre-existing issues regarding the wellbeing and mental health of university students have subsequently been compounded by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Research signals that anxiety and depression symptomology has increased in university students’ following the COVID-19 outbreak, and mental wellbeing has declined. In response to concerns around mental health of students in Higher Education (HE), and to support the transition to remote working during the pandemic, we designed and implemented an 8-week wellbeing program based on positive education frameworks and practices. The online program was delivered in a West Midlands-based university in the United Kingdom, to undergraduate and postgraduate psychology students. The weekly sessions [ran through a virtual learning environment (VLE)] aimed to 1) provide students with a community and an opportunity to feel connected with other students, 2) introduce students to key concepts of wellbeing, and 3) equip students with knowledge and resources that would help sustain/improve their wellbeing. In this paper we outline how positive education, and specifically the “PERMA” wellbeing framework, has inspired the development of this wellbeing program (including the accompanying VLE webpages and sources of support) and future plans for evaluation. We further describe the content and delivery of this program alongside practical implications, lessons learned and important constraints. We situate this discussion alongside consideration of ongoing wellbeing support requirements following the pandemic and issues regarding wider integration of PERMA approaches in university contexts.

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Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Student Wellbeing at Universities in the United Kingdom: A Conceptual Analysis

Cited by 155 publications

References 61 publications

Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey

Escalating progression of mental health disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: Evidence from a nationwide survey

COVID-19 pandemic’s disruption on university teaching and learning and competence cultivation: Student evaluation of online learning experiences in Hong Kong

A ‘PERMA’ Response to the Pandemic: An Online Positive Education Programme to Promote Wellbeing in University Students

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