Mental Health Conditions Among E-Learning Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

AimThe COVID-19 pandemic has forced the education system to undergo changes, which have also affected universities. E-learning became the main form of education, reducing interpersonal contacts, which could affect the mental wellbeing of students. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and the level of perceived stress during e-learning among Polish students and to identify the factors for predicting higher levels of depression symptoms.MethodsThe study included 753 participants with a mean age of 22.47 (±4.02) years. The Perception of Stress Questionnaire (PSQ) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II) were used to measure the severity of stress and level of depression. Furthermore, our own survey was used to assess the impact of e-learning on various aspects of life. To examine how much stress can explain a statistically significant amount of variance in depression, three-step hierarchical multiple regression was used. In addition, our own questionnaire was used to assess the impact of e-learning on education, social contacts and technical abilities.ResultsA total of 58% of the students characterized by an increased level of stress. 56% show symptoms of depression and 18% of the participants had suicidal thoughts. The most significant predictor of depression is high stress levels and factors related to e-learning: isolation from friends and acquaintances, negative impact on level of knowledge, reduced motivation to learn, and worsening grades. This predictors may explain about 66% of the variance of depression.ConclusionUniversities should implement interventions and educational programmes, providing ad hoc assistance in the form of individual or group meetings with a psychologist (also in a remote form) and organizing workshops and webinars on strategies for managing stress.

COVID-19 pandemic: disease impact on nervous system, cognitive functioning and mental health

“…Learning from home is a significant obstacle to making new friends, maintaining existing relationships, and creating and carrying out new or existing initiatives. Studies have shown that students studying remotely via e-learning during the COVID-19 pandemic experienced high levels of stress and depressive symptoms [82]. Also, the percentage of students who reported suicidal thoughts at the time is alarming.…”

Telemedicine Interventions as an Attempt to Improve the Mental Health of Populations during the COVID-19 Pandemic—A Narrative Review

“…Likewise, there are concerns regarding the adverse effects of COVID-19 on mental distress, sleep disturbances, lowered mood, sadness, tearfulness, and impaired concentration [ 21 ]. Furthermore, it has been reported that psychological reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic can range from panic behaviour or collective hysteria, through feelings of hopelessness and despair, to suicidal behaviour [ 19 , 22 , 23 ].…”

Remote Interventions to Support Students’ Psychological Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Narrative Review of Recent Approaches

“…The long-term effects of the pandemic on students’ mental health are unknown but numerous studies report increased stress levels, depression, anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors [ 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The prevalence of depression among students before the pandemic had settled at 30% but [ 8 ], based on the results from studies conducted in many countries, a significant increase in depressive symptoms can currently be observed: Spain, 31.19% ( n = 2530); Lebanon, 33.4% ( n = 520); Slovakia, 47% ( n = 3051); the USA, 48.14% ( n = 2031); China, 48.3 ( n = 4872); France, 49.5% ( n = 69,054); Poland, 56.4% ( n = 753); and Greece, 60.9% ( n = 1000) [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Scientists highlight that the strongest predictor of depression is elevated stress [ 18 , 19 ], while depression increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide [ 20 , 21 ].…”

“…Scientists highlight that the strongest predictor of depression is elevated stress [ 18 , 19 ], while depression increases the risk of suicidal thoughts and suicide [ 20 , 21 ]. Moreover, e-learning has been shown to be a predictor of increased levels of stress and depression among students due to demonstrated limited social contact, decreased motivation to learn, negative impact on knowledge and fear of lower grades [ 16 ]. Time spent in front of a computer or phone screen has increased significantly as a result of distance learning and contact with colleagues through communicators, which predict a higher risk of anxiety and depression [ 22 ].…”