1
|
Dingle GA, Han R, Alhadad SSJ, Beckman E, Bentley SV, Gomersall SR, Hides L, Maccallum F, McKimmie BM, Rossa K, Smith SS, Walter ZC, Williams E, Wright O. Data from four consecutive cohorts of students in Australia (2019-2022) show the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on domestic and international university students' mental health. Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2024; 58:528-536. [PMID: 38383969 PMCID: PMC11128135 DOI: 10.1177/00048674241233111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION COVID-19 and related travel and social restrictions caused significant stress for university students in Australia and globally. Learning quickly moved online and many students (particularly international students) were separated from social and economic support. This study examined the impact of the pandemic from pre-pandemic (2019) to the COVID-19 Omicron wave (2022) on domestic and international students' mental health. METHODS Participants were 1540 students (72% females, 28% international) in four first-year cohorts (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022). We screened for mental health concerns (% positive) and symptom scores for depression, anxiety and somatic distress using the PsyCheck, and general wellbeing using the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being scale. RESULTS From pre-COVID (2019) to the first wave of COVID-19 (2020), the proportion of students screening positive for mental health problems rose in both domestic students (66-76%) and international students (46-67%). Depression symptoms and wellbeing were worse in 2020 than in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Anxiety symptoms increased from 2019 to 2020 and continued to rise in 2021 and 2022. Somatic symptoms did not show an effect of cohort. Contrary to expectations, domestic students reported higher distress and lower wellbeing than international students across cohorts. CONCLUSION The pandemic was associated with a marked increase in psychological distress in first-year university students, not all of which settled with the easing of restrictions. Post-pandemic recovery in the Australian university sector must include university-wide access to mental health information and support for incoming students.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve A Dingle
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Rong Han
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sakinah SJ Alhadad
- School of Education and Professional Studies, Griffith University, Nathan, QLD, Australia
| | - Emma Beckman
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sarah V Bentley
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Sjaan R Gomersall
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Leanne Hides
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Lives Lived Well Research Group, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Fiona Maccallum
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Blake M McKimmie
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Kalina Rossa
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Simon S Smith
- Institute for Social Science Research, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Children and Families Over the Life Course, Indooroopilly, QLD, Australia
| | - Zoe C Walter
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Elyse Williams
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Olivia Wright
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Medina-Mora ME, Kulis SS, Real T, Nuño-Gutiérrez BL, Corona MD, Cutrín O, Marsiglia FF. The Impact of Major Earthquakes on Students' Emotional Distress and Internalizing Symptoms, Externalizing Behaviors, and Coping During the Implementation of keepin' it REAL-Mexico. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2024; 25:256-266. [PMID: 37126133 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-023-01542-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
This article reports on effects of two earthquakes in Mexico on adolescents attending middle school. The earthquakes struck in close succession during the implementation of a school-based prevention program, providing an opportunity to assess emotional distress due to the earthquakes and whether the life skills taught in the program affected how students coped with the natural disaster. The objectives were to (1) evaluate the earthquakes' impact on students' distress; (2) assess if distress is associated with internalizing symptomology and externalizing behaviors; and (3) investigate if students receiving the original and adapted versions of the intervention coped better with the events. A Mexico-US research team culturally adapted keepin' it REAL to address connections between substance use among early adolescents in Mexico and exposure to violence. A random sample of public middle schools from three cities (Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Monterrey), stratified by whether they held morning or afternoon sessions, was selected. A total of 5522 7th grade students from 36 schools participated in the study. Students answered pretest and posttest questionnaires; the latter assessed earthquake-related distress and coping strategies. Earthquake-related distress was associated with all measures of undesired internalizing symptomology and externalizing behaviors. Compared to controls, students in the adapted intervention reported less aggressive and rule-breaking externalizing behavior and less violence perpetration. However, these intervention effects were not moderated by the level of earthquake-related distress, and they were not mediated by positive or negative coping. The findings have implications for prevention intervention research and policy as natural and human-made disasters occur more often.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elena Medina-Mora
- Facultad de Psicología, UNAM, Av. Universidad 3004, Col. Copilco - Universidad, Ciudad Universitaria, CP 04510, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, Calz. México Xochimilco 101, C.P. 14370, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Stephen S Kulis
- School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 873701, Tempe, AZ, 85287, USA.
- Global Center for Applied Health Research, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 720, Phoenix, AZ, 85004-0693, USA.
| | - Tania Real
- Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de La Fuente Muñiz, Col. San Lorenzo Huipulco, Calz. México Xochimilco 101, C.P. 14370, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Bertha L Nuño-Gutiérrez
- Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones, Universidad de Guadalajara, Francisco de Quevedo, 180 Col. Arcos Vallarta, CP, 44130, Guadalajara, México
| | - Maria Dolores Corona
- Departamento de Enfermerías, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolás de La Garza, México
| | - Olalla Cutrín
- Departamento de Psicología Clínica y Psicobiología, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela, C/ Xosé María Suárez Núñez, Campus Vida, Santiago de Compostela, 15782, Spain
| | - Flavio F Marsiglia
- Global Center for Applied Health Research, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 720, Phoenix, AZ, 85004-0693, USA
- School of Social Work, Arizona State University, 411 N. Central Avenue, Suite 800, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
McGill N, Verdon S, Curtin M, Crockett J, Parnell T, Hodgins G. The impact of climate-related disasters on children's communication and wellbeing: Addressing Sustainable Development Goals. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2023; 25:20-26. [PMID: 36728510 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2022.2156613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Natural disasters can significantly impact children's health, development, and wellbeing, as well as their access to education and support services (including speech-language pathology). Children's needs are often overlooked in the urgent aftermath of natural disasters. This is especially true for children with communication difficulties. This commentary explores the impacts of bushfire on Australian children, to propose a sustainable, community-based approach to supporting children's health, wellbeing, and communication. RESULT The Royal Far West Bushfire Recovery Program, a multidisciplinary allied health program, supported children's recovery, resilience, and development in the aftermath of Australia's Black Summer bushfires in 2019-2020. Children learnt coping strategies and were more able to communicate with adults and peers about their feelings and experiences, but residual impacts of bushfires remained for some children. Allied health telepractice services, including speech-language pathology, enhanced access for vulnerable children, highlighting the potential for technology to provide high-quality services to support recovery, particularly in remote areas. CONCLUSION Climate change increases the frequency and severity of bushfires and other natural disasters with significant consequences for vulnerable and at-risk communities. Children with communication needs are particularly vulnerable during and following these disasters. High quality, evidence-based interventions are needed to support the health, wellbeing, and communication needs of children, with opportunities for involvement of speech-language pathologists. This commentary paper focusses on SDG 1, SDG 3, SDG 4, SDG 9, SDG 10, SDG 11, SDG 13, and SDG 15.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole McGill
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| | - Sarah Verdon
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| | - Michael Curtin
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| | - Judith Crockett
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| | - Tracey Parnell
- School of Allied Health, Exercise and Sports Sciences, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| | - Gene Hodgins
- School of Psychology, Charles Sturt University, NSW, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Newnham EA, Mergelsberg ELP, Chen Y, Kim Y, Gibbs L, Dzidic PL, Ishida DaSilva M, Chan EYY, Shimomura K, Narita Z, Huang Z, Leaning J. Long term mental health trajectories after disasters and pandemics: A multilingual systematic review of prevalence, risk and protective factors. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 97:102203. [PMID: 36162175 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2021] [Revised: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The patterns of long-term psychological response after disasters and pandemics remain unclear. We aimed to determine the trajectories for post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), depression and anxiety prevalence following disasters and pandemic exposure; and identify associated risk and protective factors. A systematic review of the English, Chinese, and Japanese longitudinal mental health literature was conducted. We searched Cochrane, MEDLINE, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science, and CINAHL (English), CNKI and SINOMED (Chinese) and CiNii (Japanese) for studies published between January 2000 and May 2022. Following a pre-specified protocol (PROSPERO: CRD42020206424), conditional linear growth curve models and ANOVA analyses were conducted. The search identified 77,891 papers, with a final sample of 234: 206 English, 24 Chinese, and 4 Japanese-language papers. PTSS rates improved for all ages (p = .018, eta2 = 0.035). In contrast, depression and anxiety prevalence remained elevated for years following exposure (p = .424, eta2 = 0.019 and p = .051, eta2 = 0.064, respectively), with significantly higher rates for children and adolescents (p < .005, eta2 > 0.056). Earthquakes and pandemics were associated with higher prevalence of PTSS (p < .019, eta2 > 0.019). Multi-level risk and protective factors were identified. The chronicity of mental health outcomes highlights a critical need for tailored, sustainable mental health services, particularly for children and adolescents, in disaster- and pandemic-affected settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Newnham
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia; Curtin enAble Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia; FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA.
| | - Enrique L P Mergelsberg
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia; Curtin enAble Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Yanyu Chen
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Yoshiharu Kim
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Lisa Gibbs
- Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Disaster Management and Public Safety, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Peta L Dzidic
- School of Population Health, Curtin University, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia; Curtin enAble Institute, Kent Street, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Makiko Ishida DaSilva
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Emily Y Y Chan
- FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA; Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kanji Shimomura
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; Physical and Health Education, Graduate School of Education, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Zui Narita
- National Institute of Mental Health, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Zhe Huang
- Collaborating Centre for Oxford University and CUHK for Disaster and Medical Humanitarian Response, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jennifer Leaning
- FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| |
Collapse
|