Two years COVID-19 pandemic: Development of university students' mental health 2020–2022

Abstract

BackgroundThe literature indicates a negative impact on the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. It remains unclear if this negative impact persists even after lockdown measures are lifted. The current study therefore investigates the mental health status of students by drawing on two previous studies the present study seeks to investigate differences in the mental health status across three time points.MethodsA cross-sectional, anonymous online survey among students of six universities was conducted between April and May 2022 (N = 5,510). Symptoms of depression, anxiety, hazardous alcohol use and eating disorders as well as social and emotional variables were assessed utilizing standardized instruments. Risk- and protective factors for severity of depressive and anxiety symptoms were investigated using multiple regression models. Differences in e.g., symptoms of depression across three time points were assessed with one-way analysis of variance.ResultsMore than one third of students exhibited clinically relevant symptoms of depression (35.5%), hazardous alcohol use (33.0–35.5% depending on gender) or anxiety disorder (31.1%). Taken together, almost two out of three (61.4%) students reported clinically relevant symptoms in at least one of the aforementioned symptom patterns, while almost one fifth of students reported suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm (19.6%). Higher perceived stress and loneliness significantly predicted higher levels of depressive symptoms, while resilience and social support were identified as protective factors. Compared to 2020 and 2021, levels of depressive symptoms were significantly reduced in 2022, levels of hazardous alcohol consumption showed a small but significant increase from 2021 to 2022. Worryingly, prevalence of suicidal ideation was the highest yet, being significantly higher than in 2020 (14.5%) and 2021 (16.5%).ConclusionThese results confirm previous results that the pandemic had and still has a negative impact on the mental health of university students. The present study broadens this view by the fact that some areas seem to recover quicker, while others seem to increase worryingly. Especially the persistent rise in suicidal ideation from 2020 to 2021 and to 2022, a constant reduction in reported social support and associated perceived loneliness is concerning. The claim for low-threshold and accessible mental health support for university students remains the same as in the beginning of the pandemic.

Nursing students’ emotions, educational concerns, and the impact of study careers and professional futures during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional study

“…Emotions have a profound impact on learning [ 33 ]. Jian Yang et al found that uncertainty about the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about their own health may increase anxiety and stress among nursing students [ 34 ]. This emotional state may affect their concentration, learning efficiency, and even their performance in the field of education.…”

International and domestic university students’ mental health over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Comparison between 2020, 2021, and 2022

“…Hence, this study aimed to investigate (i) differences between various timepoints of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020, 2021, and 2022) in mental health outcomes and social and emotional aspects in domestic and international students, separately, (ii) differences between international and domestic students between the three timepoints on mental health outcomes and social and emotional aspects, and (iii) possible moderation effects of timepoints on mental health outcomes and social and emotional aspects of domestic and international students. In this study, similarly to Kohls and colleagues [ 18 ], we hypothesized that the levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and loneliness would significantly differ between the three points in time, being more prominent in the 2021 cohort due to prolonged restrictions and long-lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic for both domestic and international students. We also hypothesized that the levels of depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, and loneliness would be higher among international students compared to domestic students.…”

“…During each of the three timepoints, an anonymous online survey was conducted, using similar questionnaires across all timepoints. The results of each cross-sectional study have already been published [ 8 , 9 , 18 ].The questionnaires were offered in German and English due to the large number of international students enrolled at German universities who are not proficient in German. From the existing data, in these studies, we performed a secondary analysis by grouping students who answered the online questionnaires in English as “international students”, and who answered in German as “domestic students”.…”

Long-term effects of combined mindfulness intervention and app intervention compared to single interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial

“… Elmer et al (2020) and Conceição et al (2021) reported that the prevalence of anxiety and depression among students from Switzerland and Portugal increased during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to before the pandemic. Furthermore, Kohls et al (2023) found in cross-sectional studies that students reported higher levels of depression in 2021 than in 2020. These trends in mental health justify the application of evidence-based psychological interventions addressing mental health issues and needs among university students.…”

“…Several studies have explored the impact of the pandemic on students’ mental health (e.g., Elmer et al, 2020 ; Conceição et al, 2021 ; Karing, 2021 ; Kohls et al, 2023 ). Elmer et al (2020) and Conceição et al (2021) reported that the prevalence of anxiety and depression among students from Switzerland and Portugal increased during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to before the pandemic.…”