Psychological Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Portuguese and Swiss Higher-Education Students: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Background Higher-education students are particularly vulnerable to both everyday stressors and mental health problems. Public health emergencies may generate a range of unforeseen potential stressors for vulnerable individuals and communities. The current pandemic has apparently led to an increase in psychiatric symptoms among these students. Objective The goal of this study is to characterize the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among Portuguese and Swiss higher-education students. Methods This project will use a mixed methods sequential explanatory design in Portugal and Switzerland, with two consecutive phases. During Phase I, a quantitative study will assess the psychological responses of higher-education students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A convenience sampling method will be used for collecting information from students. The association between variables will be determined with univariable and multivariable analyses. During Phase II, qualitative data will be collected in order to understand the determinants of psychological stress and the strategies adopted by students as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to identify their opinions and feelings about the teaching-learning process during quarantine. In this phase, participants will be selected using a maximum-variation sampling method. Data from focus group discussions will be coded and inductively analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. Finally, quantitative and qualitative results will be merged during interpretation to provide complementary perspectives. Results This paper describes and discusses the protocol for this mixed methods study, which will be completed in December 2021. This study was formally approved by the local ethics committee (CE/IPLEIRIA/22/2020) in Portugal and authorized by the Swiss Association of Research Ethics Committees, swissethics (CER-VD-2020-02889). Conclusions This research can contribute to the development of teaching tools and methods that reinforce positive mental health strategies, hope, and adaptive coping among students, and to the development of a class on mental health interventions in the context of catastrophic and traumatic events. This project will also help government stakeholders as well as health and education professionals safeguard the psychological well-being of students facing an expanding COVID-19 pandemic. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) PRR1-10.2196/28757

Psychological Responses and Strategies Towards the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Higher Education Students in Portugal and Switzerland: A Mixed-Methods Study

“…Email contacts of interested participants were recorded in phase I, so they might be invited to participate in the qualitative phase. The total target population of Portuguese and Swiss higher-education students (4 Portuguese institutions and 4 Swiss institutions) was estimated at 61.000 individuals ( 13 ). The minimum sample size ( n = 385) was calculated considering the most conservative scenario (a proportion of 50%), a level of confidence of 95%, and an error margin of 5%.…”

“…Phase II of this study was qualitative research to obtain additional insights into the online survey responses by carrying out Focus Group Discussions (FGDs). Before conducting the FGDs, the authors developed questions based on previous research ( 13 , 26 ) enabling the acquisition of information regarding the strategies adopted by students to promote better psychological adjustment during the pandemic crisis ( 13 ). Participants who completed the anonymous online survey had the option to provide their contact information (e.g., email) if they were interested in participating in the FGDs.…”

Domestication theory in action: Indonesian Twitter corpus analysis during distance learning

“…The words that also appeared on this theme, such as "penularan (infection)", "bahaya (danger)", "rumah (home)", "membantu (to help)", "tolong (need help)", "penutupan (closing)" were responses presented in society related to the implementation of these government regulations. The challenge in switching to online learning was the burden on parents, as previously, the children were under the supervision of school personnel inside the school building [38]. Therefore, the effect of the emergence of policies and regulations that require social restrictions, especially in educational institutions, would have an impact on the emergence of a dilemma in netizens who were burdened by the existence of an online learning model.…”