The impact of COVID-19 on students’ anxiety and its clarification: a systematic review

Abstract

IntroductionSince the emergence of COVID-19 in 2019, every country in the world has been affected to varying degrees. Long-term psychological pressure and anxiety will inevitably damage the physical and mental health of students. This study aimed to examine the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students who experienced stress and anxiety and to clarify which intervention was more effective.MethodsA comprehensive literature search was conducted between January 2020 and December 2022 using online databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar by using the following keywords in combination: “COVID-19,” “stress,” “anxiety,” “depression,” and “intervention.” The retrieved literature was screened and reviewed.ResultsA total of 2,924 articles were retrieved using subject and keyword searches. After screening through the titles and abstracts, 18 related studies were retained. Their review revealed that: (1) most studies did not use medication to control stress and anxiety; (2) the standard methods used to reduce stress and anxiety were religion, psychological counseling, learning more about COVID-19 through the media, online mindfulness courses, improving sleep quality, and physical exercise; (3) the most effective interventions were physical activity and raising awareness about COVID-19 through the media and online mindfulness programs. However, some studies show that physical activity cannot directly relieve psychological stress and anxiety.ConclusionLimited interventions are effective, but learning more about COVID-19 and using active coping strategies may help reduce stress and anxiety. The implications of COVID-19 are also discussed.

Academic and Emotional Challenges beyond COVID-19. Analysis of Years and Branches of Study in 35 Spanish Universities

“…The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptomatology during the COVID pandemic was greater amongst female university students (Woon et al, 2021;Wu et al, 2023). This finding can be related to the greater prevalence of emotional disorders amongst women (Bacigalupe & Martín, 2021).…”

“…and meta-analyses highlight that the prevalence of depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and psychological distress escalated compared to pre-pandemic levels (Munuera Gómez et al, 2023;Peng et al, 2023;Wu et al, 2023). Specifically, the pooled prevalence of anxiety symptoms and the pooled prevalence of depressive symptoms are estimated to be more than 30%.…”

“…Attention should also be paid to other unique characteristics of the current context which affect young people in particular, such as difficulties in being able to leave home and become independent, employment stability, or a culture focused on the individual, all of which can increase social and emotional vulnerability. Furthermore, it is important to stress that, although the HADS (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) is an instrument whose properties have made it one of the most suitable tests for the screening of anxiety and depression (Terol-Cantero et al, 2015;Wu et al, 2023) and it is widely used in studies with university students (Kareem et al, 2022;Sakai et al, 2022), the diagnosis of an anxiety disorder requires a detailed clinical evaluation. This same supposition can be applied to the majority of population studies, which, despite using valid measures, are not (nor are they intended to be) sufficient to establish a psychopathological diagnosis.…”

Examining the relationship between physical literacy and resilience against COVID-19-induced negative mental states in Chinese adolescents

“…The ongoing mutations of the virus have led to sustained high numbers of confirmed and suspected cases, resulting in a prolonged coexistence with the virus. This situation has led to significant psychological distress and anxiety among individuals worldwide, disrupting normal lives [ 2 , 3 ]. Despite a decline in the severity of COVID-19 over time and improvements in epidemic prevention and control worldwide, complete eradication of the virus remains elusive.…”