Assessing the mental health condition of home-confined university level students of Bangladesh due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Understanding the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being among university students in Dhaka, Bangladesh: A nested mixed-methods study

Background

University students are more at risk of mental illness compared with the general population. Declaration of a global COVID-19 pandemic led the Bangladesh government in March 2020 to implement a national lockdown, home quarantining, social distancing measures, and closure of educational institutions. We aimed to explore the impact of lockdown on the mental health and well-being of university students in Bangladesh.

Methods

A nested mixed-methods survey design was undertaken using a semi structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews conducted by telephone of 73 university students (mean age of 22 years, range 18 to 26-years-old) attending public and private academic institutions in Dhaka. A questionnaire was developed de-novo and pre-tested. Qualitative, open-ended questions were used to understand experiences regarding students' mental health and well-being, their perceptions of COVID-19, and coping strategies.

Results

Fifty nine percent of students reported that lockdown had a significant impact on their mental health and well-being. They described difficulties with social isolation and loneliness, motivation, and interpersonal conflict within families. Students' knowledge of COVID-19 were high with television, newspapers, online, and social media were main sources of information; few relied on government reports. Most pressing concerns were timely graduation and employment (83%), not being able to socialize (46%), being stuck at home (37%), and financial difficulties regarding university fees (29%). Additional underlying stressors included financial insecurity of respondents' households and parental health. Coping strategies included watching television or films, online meetings with friends, social media, as well interactions with family.

Conclusion

As a result of Bangladesh's first national lockdown, university students experienced negative effects on their mental health and well-being. There is an urgent need for greater proactive measures within educational settings, such as mental health literacy programmes and diagnosis management that could mitigate and prevent adverse impacts of future lockdowns.

Psychological disorders among Spanish Nursing students three months after COVID-19 lockdown: A cross-sectional study

The COVID-19 pandemic had a notable impact on the psychological well-being of a large part of the population, putting them at risk of developing depressive symptoms, different levels of anxiety disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). One group considered to be at high risk are Nursing students; they were affected as learning strategies changed and clinical practices were cancelled. This study attempts to assess the psychological impact COVID-19 pandemic had on Nursing students and to explore the sociodemographic differences that can be risk factors for mental health disturbance. The psychological impact was evaluated using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The study took place 4 months after the state of alarm was declared over in Spain. From a total sample of 304 Nursing students, 26.7%, 39.8%, and 15.5% showed PTSD, anxiety, and depression symptoms, respectively. Severe levels of psychological impact have been associated with being a female, a smoker, and feeling fear and stress. Having a relative test positive has been linked to lower anxiety levels while being afraid or stressed to higher anxiety levels. Being a female, co-habit with friends and feeling stress have been associated with higher depression levels.

Impact of Social Media Use on Mental Health within Adolescent and Student Populations during COVID-19 Pandemic: Review

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed our lives. By increased screen time during the pandemic, social media (SM) could have significantly impacted adolescents' and students' mental health (MH). This literature review aims to synthesize the research on the impact of SM usage on MH of adolescents and students during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. A review of the published literature was conducted in April 2021, through a search of PubMed and Web of Science Core Collection databases. The search yielded 1136 records, with 13 articles selected for this review. Most of the included studies observed the negative impact of SM use on MH of adolescents and students, most noticeably observed were anxiety, depression and stress. More active and prolonged SM usage was associated with a negative impact on MH of adolescents and students. Two studies recorded some potentially positive effects, such as support in coping and providing a sense of connection for those who were isolated due to social distancing measures. Since this review focuses on the early period of the pandemic, future studies should investigate the long-term impact of SM use on adolescents and students MH, with all relevant elements that can enable adequate public health response.

Factors influencing plasma donation behavior of COVID-19 recovered patients in Bangladesh: A pilot study

Background and Aim

The COVID-19 pandemic has plagued our lives for more than 2 years, and the preference for convalescent plasma (CP) as a life-saving treatment since CP has proven as a potential therapeutic option for acute COVID-19 patients who were suffering from severe disease. It is important to identify which factors are associated with plasma donation. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the associated factors for CP donation to COVID-19 patients.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted online from December 21, 2021 to February 15, 2022 to identify different socio-demographic factors and knowledge related to CP donation. People who recovered from the COVID-19 infections and those who are willing to participate were included in the study. A total of 60 participants were included in the study. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation matrix, and factor analysis.

Results

The analysis results confirm that 41.67% (n = 25) of the participants aged 26-30 years; among the recovered patients, only about 23% (n = 14) of the participants donated plasma. Though 97% (n = 58) of the participants agreed to donate plasma when it will be needed, however, when someone asked to donate plasma then 76.67% (n = 46) of the patients declined it. Findings depict that gender had a weak positive relationship with ever decline in plasma donation at 5% level of significance and the age of the participants inversely related to plasma donation.

Conclusion

Almost all the recovered participants were willing to donate plasma, however, due to a lack of knowledge and misconception, relatively few people actually did. This study reemphasizes the importance of health education to overcome the misconception about plasma donation, which is crucial for the treatment of COVID-19 infection.

A four-level meta-analytic review of the relationship between social media and well-being: a fresh perspective in the context of COVID-19

Social media, one of the most pervasive forms of technology, has been widely studied in relation to the mental health and well-being of individuals. However, the current literature on social media and well-being has provided mixed and inconclusive findings, thus creating a polarizing view of social media. These mixed findings continue to extend into the pandemic, with researchers debating over the effects of social media in the new norms of social isolation. In light of these inconclusive findings, the aim of our meta-analysis was to synthesize previous research data in order to have a holistic understanding of the association between social media and well-being, particularly in the present context of COVID-19. The current meta-analysis systematically investigated 155 effect sizes from 42 samples drawn from 38 studies published during the COVID-19 pandemic (N = 43,387) and examined the potential moderators in the relationship between social media and well-being, such as the different operationalizations of social media usage and demographics. Overall, our study found that the relationship between social media usage and well-being was not significant in the context of COVID-19. Additionally, the impact of various moderators on the relationship between social media and well-being was found to vary. We discuss the various theoretical, methodological and practical implications of these findings and highlight areas where further research is necessary to shed light on the complex and nuanced relationship between social media and well-being.

Burden of COVID-19 on health and wellbeing, education, and economy of Bangladesh

The long-term impact of this pandemic will continue in almost all sectors of a country such as health, economic situations, education, mental health, and violence. Therefore, the authors intended to discuss the prolonged effect of COVID-19 on the health along with wellbeing, education, and economy of Bangladesh through a mixed approach. To assess the possible scenario in health sector of Bangladesh, we conducted a short survey through online with a structured questionnaire. The impact of the pandemic is highlighted by graphical presentations and discussed the issues in light of the existing literature. It is realized that health care services and resources are always essential for predominant health conditions and fatal diseases patients. Mental health has also been impacted a lot during this pandemic. Moreover, students of only those schools located in urban areas are attended some online classes but due to the internet interruption and scarcity of devices students from rural areas cannot attend the classes and it will widen the gap between pupils from urban areas and those who live in remote rural areas. Additionally, many students terminate school. The country's youth unemployment is projected to intensify as a result of the economic effects, which would promote antisocial behavior and cause social discontent among young people. Also, the flow of remittances greatly declined in the last couple of months and a many people were jobless abroad, and the majority of them were sent back home. The demographic dividend's intended results are expected to be negatively impacted by COVID-19's overall effect as well as sustainable development goals (SDGs) in Bangladesh. Therefore, many social services systems need strategic backup resources at community, national, and global levels if any basic system may collapse due to COVID-19 and socio-economic as well as geopolitical negligence in handling post-pandemic challenges.

General psychiatric symptoms among Bangladeshi people approximately one year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) has had negative physical and mental impacts on people globally. The current study examined general psychiatric symptoms (fear, anxiety, depression, and insomnia) and loneliness, and their interrelationships and correlates among Bangladeshi individuals approximately 1 year after the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHODS

An internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1004 Bangladeshi people (51.8% male; mean age: 25.41 ± 7.80; age range: 18-60 years). Data were collected using a semi-structured e-questionnaire including informed consent, socio-demographics, lifestyle measures, and psychometric tools assessing loneliness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fear of COVID-19.

RESULTS

Sizeable participants screened positive for loneliness (63.5%), anxiety (26.3%), depression (46.4%), and insomnia (50.7%). Considerable numbers of respondents also reported fear of COVID-19. In hierarchical regression analyses, loneliness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fear of COVID-19 were associated with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors. Loneliness, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and fear of COVID-19 were positively correlated with each other (p < 0.001). In exploratory path analyses, anxiety, depression, and insomnia mediated the relationship between loneliness and fear of COVID-19.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings indicate that many people in Bangladesh have experienced psychiatric concerns approximately 1 year after the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak. Investigation into empirically supported interventions and their implementation is needed.

Mental health, learning behaviour and perceived fatigue among university students during the COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional multicentric study in the UAE

Background

The rapid shift to online education due to COVID-19 quarantine challenged students’ ability to accept pure online learning without negative consequences for their physical, emotional and mental health. Some educational institutions introduced new strategies to reduce the psychosocial burden associated with online learning during home confinement. Thus, the primary aims were to determine the consequences of COVID-19 for the psychological well-being and fatigue levels of higher education students and to explore the effects of a new academic assessment approach in reducing home confinement stress.

Method

A cross-sectional online survey was conducted among students, from 30 August to 30 September 2020, of 7 disciplines in all 16 higher colleges of technology in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Mental Well-being and Learning Behaviours Scale and the modified Copenhagen Burnout Inventory were used to evaluate students’ psychological well-being and fatigue levels. A Welch t-test and Welch ANOVA were performed to determine the differences in perceived psychological well-being associated with students’ characteristics. Second, Kruskal_Wallis and Mann_Whitney were performed to determine the differences in fatigue level based on students’ characteristics.

Results

One thousand four hundred students participated. The majority were female (78.5%) and aged from 21–25 years (58.1%). Around 14% of respondents were married with children. Nearly 40% were satisfied with the new assessment approach introduced during the COVID pandemic and 45.5% perceived it as having reduced their home confinement stress. The mean psychological distress score of 3.00 (SD ± 0.71) indicates a moderate impact of COVID-19 on psychological well-being. Students’ psychological distress was positively correlated with fatigue level (0.256, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with the perceived impact of the new assessment approach on student lifestyle (− 0.133, p < 0.001), physical health (− 0.149, p < 0.001) and coping with stress (− 0.125, p < 0.001). Male students experienced significantly lower fatigue and better psychological well-being than female students.

Conclusion

The study reveals that new assessment approaches which emerged during home confinement reduced students’ perception of stress and of impaired lifestyle. However, students still had a considerable burden of psychological distress, requiring further preventive measures to maintain their psychological well-being during future outbreak events. Educational institutions should consider additional strategies to improve students’ preparedness for online teaching, which could help maintain their psychological well-being.

COVID-19 Emergency Remote Teaching Opinions and Academic Performance of Undergraduate Students: Analysis of 4 Students’ Profiles. A Case Study

Distance learning due to the COVID-19 lockdown, commonly called emergency remote teaching (ERT), substantially changed the methodology of teaching and possibly students’ perceptions of the quality of lectures. Students’ opinions should be collected and analyzed jointly with other data such as academic performance to assess the effect of this pandemic on learning. A 20-question, 4-point Likert scale specific questionnaire was designed and validated twice by a panel of experts. The survey was sent to the 365 industrial engineering undergraduate students enrolled in a chemistry course. Responses (n = 233) and academic data were collected, and four student profiles were identified by using the k-means cluster analysis technique: ‘The Lucky’, ‘The Passive’, ‘The Autonomous Learner’ and ‘The Harmed’. Students experienced the ERT differently according to their profile. Undergraduates who were better autonomous learners excelled in academic performance and were more participative in the survey. In general, students preferred face-to-face classes over distance learning. Undergraduates’ learning has been impaired due to the circumstances. However, contrary to their beliefs, the situation has benefited them with respect to grades when comparing their performance with students from previous years. Discovering what challenges students faced to adapt to the situation is key to giving students tools to grow as autonomous learners and to enable educators to apply tailored teaching techniques to improve the quality of lectures and enhance student satisfaction.