Fear, Stress, Resilience and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 in Spanish University Students

Effectiveness of a Mindfulness-Based Intervention Program to Improve Communication and Stress Coping Skills in University Students

Investigating the contribution of mindfulness training to psychological well-being and quality of life in the university setting is of interest. The objective of the study is to present a comparative analysis of the scores in the variables of self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills before and after the application of an intervention program based on mindfulness. An ex post facto cross-sectional design and a convenience sample of participants were adopted. The participants were students belonging to Education Sciences who benefited from the activities of the program. Instruments were administered to assess mindfulness, self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The correlations of the mindfulness variable with the other psychoeducational variables evaluated were also analyzed. The results indicate an increase in the scores in the selected variables of mindfulness, resilience, communication skills, and some of the coping strategies considered productive or functional such as problem solving, self-criticism, emotional expression, desiderative thinking, social support, and cognitive restructuring. Statistically significant correlations were also observed between the variable mindfulness and those of perceived self-efficacy, resilience, coping strategies, and communication skills. The development of mindfulness training programs in the university setting is necessary to contribute to the improvement of more adaptive coping skills and the promotion of resilience.

Academic resilience, self-efficacy, and motivation: the role of parenting style

Previous research has found that parenting style influences academic resilience. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on the mechanism underlying the relationship between parenting style and academic resilience. This study aims to examine the relationship between adolescents' parenting style and academic resilience, drawing upon the framework of Social Cognitive Theory. Specifically, it wants to explore the mediating roles of self-efficacy and academic motivation in this relationship. The participants were 518 students chosen at random from educational institutions in the Chinese provinces of Zhejiang, Shanghai, and Jiangsu. Social Cognitive Theory was the theoretical foundation for the study, and the Parental Authority Questionnaire was used to measure parenting style. Out of the respondents, 55.5% were male and 45.5% female. The student allocation in the study sample was as follows: 62.34% undergraduate, 28.22% master's, and 9.44% PhD. More than 60% of participants were over 25 years old. Moreover, the findings revealed that parenting style was directly and positively related to academic resilience. Parenting style was also found to be indirectly and positively related to academic resilience via self-efficacy and academic motivation, respectively, and sequentially. More crucially, it was discovered that the direct association was far lower than the indirect effects, with self-efficacy being the most effective. The study indicates a relationship between parenting style and academic resilience in adolescents, with self-efficacy and academic motivation acting as the main mediators. These findings emphasize the significance of these intermediary elements, implying that they play a larger role than the direct influence of parenting style alone.

Psychological impact of COVID-19 and determinants among Spanish university students

Background

University students are a vulnerable population and faced a significant psychological impact from the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of fear of COVID-19 among university students and to evaluate the possible relationship between fear of COVID-19 and socio-demographic, health-related determinants, variables related to the COVID-19 and variables related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study between December 2020 and December 2021 on a sample of 950 university students from two universities in southern Spain. Participants completed a form that collected socio-demographic, health-related and COVID-related variables, a validated questionnaire related to the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the fear of COVID Scale (FCV-19S). Descriptive, inferential, and multivariable linear regression analyzes were conducted.

Results

The mean FCV-19S score was 14.86 ± 5.16 points. The factors identified as predictors of FCV-19S were being female (p < 0.001), holding religious beliefs (p = 0.04), living in towns with over 10,000 inhabitants (p < 0.01), living with someone vulnerable to COVID-19 (p = 0.02), watching TV to keep informed about COVID-19 (p < 0.01), believing in a low probability of surviving if infected with COVID-19 (p < 0.001), having a higher level of death anxiety (p < 0.001) and suffering from insomnia (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

An average fear of COVID-19 score of 14.86 ± 5.16 points has been found among university students in Spain. These findings can aid in identifying specific factors contributing to fear of COVID-19 and in developing coping strategies to alleviate the stress of the pandemic.

Aftermath of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Resilience and Mental Health of Emerging Adult University Students

This study explored the relationship between COVID-19 impacts and resilience in emerging adulthood during the final two months of the pandemic. It aimed to examine whether mental health symptoms moderated this relationship. In total, 205 university students completed an online questionnaire survey. Regression analysis was used to examine the prediction of resilience by pandemic-related impacts, and moderation analysis was used to explore the potential moderating effect of mental health on the relationship between impacts and resilience. The findings failed to confirm the hypothesis that total COVID-19 impacts would predict resilience. Rather, resource-type impacts predicted resilience [B = 0.17, p < 0.5]. Significant partial correlations found among resource, financial, and psychological impacts may go some way toward clarifying connections between impacts and resilience [for resource-type impact with financial-type impact, r = 0.48, p < 0.01; for resource-type impact with psychological impact, r = 0.22, p < 0.01]. The results confirmed the hypothesis that mental health symptoms would moderate the relationship between pandemic impacts and resilience [for the overall model, R = 0.41, ΔR2 = 0.16, MSE = 0.76, F (4, 200) = 10.19, p < 0.001; for the interaction between total COVID impacts and resilience, ΔR2 = 0.017, F (1, 200) = 3.98, p < 0.05]. Thus, emerging adult students with low or moderate levels of symptomatology were more resilient, independently of the level of pandemic-related stressors they faced. Those experiencing higher levels of mental health symptoms, in tandem with high levels of pandemic-related impacts, exhibited increasingly higher resilience levels [b = 0.17, 95% CI [0.02, 0.32], t = 2.26, p = 0.025]. These youths may be better equipped to handle severe stress and adversity thanks to skills and resources they possess and are experienced in using. The implications of these findings for each group of young people are discussed for their usefulness in directing future research and interventions to foster resilience during current and future crises and health pandemics.

Social support as a mediator in the relationship between technostress or academic stress and health: analysis by gender among university students

Introduction

This research aims to study the role of social support as a mediator in the relationship between technostress or academic stress and health in university students.

Methods

A descriptive, quantitative cross-sectional study has been carried out through a self-reported survey answered by 389 students during March and April 2022. The current level of health was the outcome variable. Technostress and academic stress were the criterion variables. Perceived social support was the mediator variable. The sociodemographic variables and ICT use at the educational level were the independent variables.

Results

Women have higher levels of technostress and academic stress than men. Social support significantly and positively mediates the relationship between academic stress and self-perceived health in men.

Discussion

There is a clear need to develop new social management strategies that assist students in developing stable and long-lasting social networks, which can reduce stress during the student period and provide personal tools for later working life.

Suicide Risk Analysis and Psycho-Emotional Risk Factors Using an Artificial Neural Network System

Suicidal behavior among young people has become an increasingly relevant topic after the COVID-19 pandemic and constitutes a public health problem. This study aimed to examine the variables associated with suicide risk and determine their predictive capacity. The specific objectives were: (1) to analyze the relationship between suicide risk and model variables and (2) to design an artificial neural network (ANN) with predictive capacity for suicide risk. The sample comprised 337 youths aged 18-33 years. An ex post facto design was used. The results showed that emotional attention, followed by problem solving and perfectionism, were variables that contributed the most to the ANN's predictive capacity. The ANN achieved a hit rate of 85.7%, which is much higher than chance, and with only 14.3% of incorrect cases. This study extracted relevant information on suicide risk and the related risk and protective factors via artificial intelligence. These data will be useful for diagnosis as well as for psycho-educational guidance and prevention. This study was one of the first to apply this innovative methodology based on an ANN design to study these variables.

Crisis Experience and Purpose in Life in Men and Women: The Mediating Effect of Gratitude and Fear of COVID-19

AIM

This study investigated whether gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediated the relationship between crisis experience during the pandemic and purpose in life in men and women.

METHODS

Six hundred and five participants aged between 18 and 60 years (M = 25.6; SD = 8.39) completed the Gratitude, Resentment, and Appreciation Scale-Short Form (GRAT-S), Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and Purpose in Life Test (PIL). In addition, the respondents were questioned about life crises during the previous six months (e.g., the death of a loved one or illness).

RESULTS

Men and women differed in their endorsement of gratitude or fear of COVID-19 as a mediator. Women's experiences of the crisis related both directly and indirectly to purpose in life, with gratitude and fear of COVID-19 mediating this relationship. In men, only the indirect path, from crisis experience, through gratitude, to purpose in life, turned out to be significant.

CONCLUSION

The results of this study suggest that coping styles differ in men and women and, as a consequence, that crisis interventions need to take gender into account.

Attitudes toward mathematics/statistics, anxiety, self-efficacy and academic performance: an artificial neural network

Mathematics and statistical skills are crucial to daily life. However, many students found mathematics difficult to learn and understand. This research aimed to find relationships between mathematics and statistical attitudes and emotional dimensions, such as anxiety or self-efficacy. The sample consisted of two groups: the first group was formed by 276 Spanish students (75.7% female with an average age of 19.92 years) from different degrees at the University of Granada and the second one by agroup of 19 secondary school students from of a Secondary School in Granada, Spain (57.9% male students between 14 and 16 years of age from a public school). The instruments applied were a scale of attitude toward mathematics, a scale of attitude toward statistics, a scale to assess mathematical anxiety, and a scale to assess self-efficacy. An artificial neural network for the backpropagation algorithm was designed using dependent variable. The results showed a negative impact of anxiety on those attitudes, while self-efficacy had a positive impact on those mentioned attitudes. Therefore, emotional education is important in the well-being, and teaching in mathematics. The usefulness of the innovative neural network analysis in predicting the constructs evaluated in this study can be highlighted.

Coping Orientation of Academic Community in the Time of COVID-19 Pandemic: A Pilot Multi-Country Survey Study

In this paper, we have mapped the coping methods used to address the coronavirus pandemic by members of the academic community. We conducted an anonymous survey of a convenient sample of 674 faculty/staff members and students from September to December 2020. A modified version of the RCOPE scale was used for data collection. The results indicate that both religious and existential coping methods were used by respondents. The study also indicates that even though 71% of informants believed in God or another religious figure, 61% reported that they had tried to gain control of the situation directly without the help of God or another religious figure. The ranking of the coping strategies used indicates that the first five methods used by informants were all non-religious coping methods (i.e., secular existential coping methods): regarding life as a part of a greater whole, regarding nature as an important resource, listening to the sound of surrounding nature, being alone and contemplating, and walking/engaging in any activities outdoors giving a spiritual feeling. Our results contribute to the new area of research on academic community's coping with pandemic-related stress and challenges.

Technostress and academic motivation: direct and indirect effects on university students' psychological health

Introduction

Research has well demonstrated that the pandemic entailed several implications among university students worldwide in terms of increased use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs), technostress, disruptions in academic goals and motivation processes, and growing psychological suffering. Responding to the new research need to go in-depth into the processes linking technostress and motivation dimensions to inform current research/interventions, the present study aimed to explore the direct effects of perceived Technostress dimensions (Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Pace of Change, Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, and Techno-Sociality) and Academic Motivation dimensions (Amotivation, Intrinsic, and Extrinsic Motivation dimensions) on students' perceived levels of Anxiety/Depression and test the potential indirect effect (mediating role) of Academic Motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress and psychological health conditions.

Methods

Overall, 1,541 students from five European countries (Czech Republic, Greece, Italy, Serbia, United Kingdom) completed a survey comprising a Background Information Form, the Technostress Scale, the Academic Motivation Scale-College, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Hayes' PROCESS tool was used to test direct and indirect (mediating) effects.

Results

Data revealed that Techno-Overload, Work-Home Conflict, Amotivation, and Extrinsic Motivation-Introjected had a direct negative effect, whereas Techno-Ease, Techno-Reliability, Techno-Sociality, all Intrinsic Motivation dimensions, and Extrinsic Motivation-Identified had a direct protective role for students' psychological health. The significant indirect role of motivation dimensions in the associations between Technostress dimensions and Anxiety/Depression was fully supported.

Discussion

Findings allow gaining further insight into the pathways of relationships between technostress, motivation, and psychological health, to be used in the current phase, featured by the complete restoration of face-to-face contacts, to inform the development of tailored research and interventions, which address lights and shadows of the technology use, and which take into account the necessity to enhance its potentials yet without impairing students' motivation and psychological health.

Psychology of Changeability: Basic Principles of Description of Processual Nature of Personality

The article reveals the basic principles of the processual approach to the study of personality, which have a natural scientific foundation and are based on the ideas of the philosophy of instability of I. Prigogine. The developed processual approach is designed to overcome the opposition of variability and stability of personality, and to explain how the personality remains sustainable, being in constant change. This question, formulated by Mischel, continues to be debated in modern theoretical and methodological studies, maintaining the controversy between supporters of structural and dynamic paradigms of personality research. The significant role of the theory of non-equilibrium systems for understanding personality changeability is revealed in connection with explanation of its processual nature, when the leading role is played not by the variety of elements and their dynamics, but by self-organization of personality components. The processuality of personality determines its ability to move to new levels of functioning, to become more complex, to unpredictably change structurally and meaningfully in an infinite variety of options. The processual nature of personality focuses attention of a researcher on the potentially possible, when the object of research is not the existing, but the emerging. The methodological principles for describing the processual nature of personality are the principle of contextuality, revealing the sensitivity of its subsystems to fluctuations, the principle of multiplicity (uncertainty) of states, explaining the growth of non-adaptive forms and variability in critical situations and turning points, the principle of historicity, defining events as a starting point of imbalance and consistency, the principles of complementarity and wholeness, describing the dialectic of sustainability and changeability at different levels of functioning (three contexts of personality existence: situational, life and existential).

The negative impact of loneliness and perceived stress on mental health during two-month lockdown in Shanghai

BACKGROUND

Shanghai undergone COVID-19 lockdown for 2 months in 2022, affecting >25 million population. We aim to find changes in mental health during Shanghai lockdown and if mental health was associated with Shanghai lockdown, loneliness, and perceived stress.

METHODS

We conducted two cross-sectional online surveys in China, which were before and at the end of Shanghai lockdown (survey 1 in January 2022, N = 1123; survey 2 in June 2022, N = 2139). Participants reported mental health, loneliness, and perceived stress through the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), the short-form UCLA Loneliness Scale (ULS-8), and the 10-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10). We compared data between survey 1 and 2. We ran a multiple linear regression model to investigate the impact of Shanghai lockdown, loneliness and perceived stress on mental health.

RESULTS

There's an increase in the proportion of lonely people during Shanghai lockdown (49.77 % to 65.26 %). During Shanghai lockdown, the proportion of lonely people (68.97 % VS. 61.35 %, p < 0.001) and risk for mental health conditions (50.50 % VS. 43.27 %, p < 0.001) were higher among residents in Shanghai than outside Shanghai. Shanghai lockdown (b = 0.556, p = 0.02), higher ULS-8 (b = 0.284, p < 0.001) and higher PSS-10 (b = 0.365, p < 0.001) were associated with higher GHQ-12.

LIMITATIONS

Participants reported their mental health status during Shanghai lockdown retrospectively.

CONCLUSION

Shanghai lockdown had psychological impacts not only on residents in Shanghai but also outside Shanghai. Addressing loneliness and perceived stress accommodated to the lockdown situation should be considered.

Coping with COVID-19 Pandemic and Sustained Health Behavior: A Cross-Sectional Study in Bangladesh

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people's health behavioral changes have been transposed into a new dimension. Coping with the COVID-19 pandemic may have an impact on sustained health behavior (SHB). Therefore, this study aimed to explore the validity and reliability of the COVID-19 Coping Scale among working-age individuals and to assess whether coping with COVID-19-related stress could influence SHB in this population. A cross-sectional study was conducted based on the population of the city of Dhaka in Bangladesh. A total of 263 working-age individuals (19-65 years) participated in the study. The present study results confirmed the COVID-19 Coping Scale was a valid and reliable instrument for this population. Moreover, the present finding indicated decreased odds of SHB for individuals who rated lower scores on coping with COVID-19 compared to individuals who rated higher scores; the result remained significant after controlling for gender and education (OR 0.68, 95% CI: 0.54-0.87). The present study suggests two important findings: (i) the instrument used in this study was valid and reliable in this population, and (ii) coping with COVID-19-related stress may be an important aspect of practicing SHB. Policymakers may use the highlighted findings to facilitate sustainable health behavior for long-term health benefits and to tackle future pandemics like COVID-19 or in a similar context.

How and When May Technostress Impact Workers' Psycho-Physical Health and Work-Family Interface? A Study during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy

Although a growing body of research has analyzed the determinants and effects of technostress, it is still unclear how and when technostress would impact workers' psycho-physical health and work-family interface during the pandemic. To fill this gap, this study tests the mediating mechanisms and the boundary conditions associated with the impact of technostress on workers' psycho-physical well-being and work-family conflict. A total of 266 Italian workers completed online questionnaires measuring (traditional vs. remote) working modalities, technostress, fear of COVID-19, working excessively, psycho-physical distress, work-family conflict, loss of a loved one due to COVID-19, and resilience. Structural equation models were performed. Results indicated that technostress was positively related to psycho-physical distress and work-family conflict, as mediated by fear of COVID-19 and working excessively, respectively. The loss of a loved one exacerbated the effects of fear of COVID-19 on psycho-physical health, while resilience buffered the effects of working excessively on work-family conflict. Since numerous organizations intend to maintain remote working also after the COVID-19 emergency, it is crucial to study this phenomenon during its peaks of adoption, to prevent its potential negative outcomes. The implications of these findings for theory and practice are discussed.

Experience of COVID-19 disease and fear of the SARS-CoV-2 virus among Polish students

Background

The SARS-CoV-2 virus pandemic has significantly affected individuals and entire societies. It has caused a number of adverse consequences for public health. It has contributed to lower average life expectancy and significantly reduced the sense of health security. It has affected not only physical but also mental health. COVID-19 infections have become so common in many countries, including Poland, that almost every member of society has either experienced it themselves or has a family member or friend who have been affected by the disease. The investigations undertaken in the article concern the fear of COVID-19 infection among Polish university students, determined by the experience of the disease -whether direct or among loved ones.

Methods

An online survey was conducted with 851 students. It took place between 1 and 15 March 2021, a year after detection of the first case of infection with the virus in Poland. The aim of the study was to find out about the relationship between the experience of COVID-19 disease (whether direct or among people close to the respondent) and fear of this disease among university students in Poland. The analysis used intergroup comparison tests (Mann-Whitney U Test and t-test).

Results

The results indicate that the level of fear of COVID-19 among Polish university students was low (M = 1.98; SD = .49), with women (M = 2.04; SD = .75) presenting statistically higher (t (620.46) = 3.05; p = .002) fear than men (M = 1.87; SD = .74). The situation of the respondent having had a close person fall ill with COVID-19 or die as a result of coronavirus infection was found to be significant for the level of experienced fear of COVID-19 in the studied group (t (469.46) = -2.98; p = .003).

Conclusions

The significantly higher level of fear in the group of young people who knew someone close with severe (fatal) COVID-19 disease indicates that psychological support may be more significant for such people than for individuals who have not experienced such a situation. A similar conclusion can be formulated taking into account the gender criterion, as the results make it possible to predict that women expect more support in a pandemic situation.

Social Health and Psychological Safety of Students Involved in Online Education during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Our paper focuses on the issues of social health and psychological safety of university students involved in digital sustainable education during the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, modern education is becoming inclusive due to the advancements in information and communication technologies (ICT), and it is important not only to stress the relevance of sustainable development and the use of digital technologies, but also their impact on students at schools and universities worldwide. Digital literacy is a newly emerging feature that results from the attitude of team members in the field of digital technologies. This paper explores the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' learning and well-being and outlines the potential considerations for educational systems as they support students through the recovery period and beyond. Our study is based on the results of our own survey that was administered using a snowball and convenient sample of 1524 respondents (aged 19-26 years; 56.2% females and 43.8% males) from the Czech Republic (N = 804) and Russia (N = 720). We employed the ANOVA and Dirichlet Process mixtures of Generalized Linear Models (DP-GLM) in order to explain the causes of stress and anxiety after grouping variables represented by gender and the study specializations. Our results demonstrate that more than 87% of the students in the sample expressed a medium to high vulnerability to stress, while 58% of the respondents were affected by severe anxiety during their online education engagement. The most important factors that emerged as significant were the fear of getting infected and social distancing, while the best strategy to cope with the stress was self-control. These results allow us to provide practical recommendations for effectively coping with and controlling stress and anxiety among students in the post-pandemic era. In addition, our findings might contribute considerably to the study of the overall long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the university students, in general, and the use of digital technologies in higher education, as well as on the public health.

Stressors and difficulties perceived during the pandemic in the teaching activity of nursing professors

Background

The coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has prompted several changes in teaching methods in addition to the ways of learning by students.

Objective

To check whether a relationship between factors, such as resilience, self-esteem, depression, anxiety, academic stressors, and a change in teaching methods and learning since the first epidemic outbreak exists.

Materials and methods

This study was a cross-sectional descriptive one with a non-random sample of nursing degree teachers who did or did not participate in clinical activities but had been teaching online since the start of the pandemic. Data were collected with online questionnaires validated for self-completion with Google Forms.

Results

Regarding the analysis of the descriptive data of each scale, we can verify that data indicate very high levels of resilience and self-esteem in the normal range with minimal levels of depression, moderate anxiety, and finally not worrying about sources of stress in teachers. Also, negative correlations were found between the 10 Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI 2), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and Scale of Sources of Stress in Teachers with a statistical significance of p < 0.001. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale also showed negative correlations with the three previously mentioned scales with a statistical significance of p < 0.001. Finally, positive correlations between the Beck (BDI 2), Beck (BAI), and Sources of Stress in Teachers scales and between the Rosenberg Self-Esteem scale and the 10 CD RISC scale were found (p < 0.001).

Discussion

Our study shows that nursing degree teachers combine teaching with activities and presented moderate levels of anxiety, depression, and tolerance to academic stressors and were able to maintain optimal levels of self-esteem and resilience, indicating that these two factors act as protectors against these stressors.

Tweetable abstract

Nursing teachers presented moderate levels of anxiety, depression, and academic stressors due to optimal levels of self-esteem and resilience.

Learning Stress, Involvement, Academic Concerns, and Mental Health among University Students during a Pandemic: Influence of Fear and Moderation of Self-Efficacy

COVID-19 has had a profound impact on the mental health and well-being of students. An effective method that can enable students to cope with difficult times is to help them realize their inner potential. Following the stimulus-organism-response model, this study developed a theoretical framework that deepens our understanding of an environmental stimulus (fear of COVID-19) that is experienced by students; struggle within the organism (learning stress, learning involvement, and academic concerns); and the psychological response (psychological well-being). The findings clarified how the fear of COVID-19 affects the psychological well-being of university students and revealed the moderate role of academic self-efficacy in this process. Some systematic practical advice was provided to higher education institutions to develop effective interventions to protect the mental health of college students and establish strategies to promote their inner potential.

Pandemic Fatigue in Nursing Undergraduates: Role of Individual Resilience and Coping Styles in Health Promotion

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic was soon declared a global health threat and had significant economic and health implications. Unprecedented government measures brought massive shifts in teaching-learning pedagogy in nursing to curb the infection. The study was conducted to explore the predictors of pandemic fatigue among nursing undergraduates and mediating role of individual resilience and coping styles during the third wave in India.

Methods

This online survey included 256 undergraduate nursing students studying at Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in North India. Lockdown/Pandemic Fatigue Questionnaire, Brief Resilience Scale, and Coping Behavior Questionnaire were used to collect the information. Appropriate descriptive and inferential statistics were applied to compute the results.

Results

Nursing undergraduates reported a moderate level of fatigue during the restrictions imposed at the time of the third wave. Students’ year of study (p = 0.001), tested positive during pandemic (p = 0.003), and post-COVID-19 hospitalization (p = 0.026) were found associated with higher fatigue status. Advanced age (p = 0.046) and higher personal resilience status (p &lt; 0.001) were associated with lower fatigue levels. Resilience status (ß = − 4.311 p &lt; 0.001) and second year of study (ß = 3.198, p = 0.015) were reported as independent predictors of pandemic fatigue in students.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that lockdown-related fatigue was common in nursing undergraduates. Considering negative consequences on mental health, routine psychosocial screening of the nursing students should be conducted. Recommending stress-relieving measures should be enforced to help nursing undergraduates to combat lockdown-induced exhaustion.

Gender and COVID-19 related fear and anxiety: A meta-analysis

Studies conducted during the pandemic revealed strong associations between gender and COVID-19 related fear and anxiety. Females perceive coronavirus as a greater threat to personal health and population than males. The aim of the current meta-analysis is to estimate gender difference in COVID-19 related fear and anxiety. The second purpose of this study is to clarify the role of potential moderators in COVID-19 fear and anxiety. For these reasons, studies published between March 2020 and October 2021 were searched in various databases (Web of Science, SCOPUS, PubMed, and Google Scholar). In total, 315 studies met the inclusion criteria, and 60 studies for COVID-19 related fear and 23 studies for COVID-19 related anxiety were included in the current study. Cohen's d effect size values were calculated based on these individual studies showing the difference between males and females in terms of COVID-19 related fear and anxiety. Results revealed that gender has a moderate and statistically significant effect on COVID-19 related fear (ES = 0.307) and anxiety (ES = 0.316) in favor of females. Moderator analyses showed that continent variable was a statistically significant moderator of gender difference in COVID-19 related fear and anxiety. The highest effect size of gender differences in COVID-related fear and anxiety were obtained from the studies conducted in Europe. However, other moderators (the average age of sample, culture, timing, and population) were not statistically significant. Although this meta-analysis has a few limitations, the findings showed that COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected females more.

Prevalence of perceived stress and coping strategies among healthcare workers during the COVID-19 outbreak at Bangkok metropolitan, Thailand

Background

Healthcare workers (HCW), who are crucial workforce, have experienced stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. They have been learning to fight against and support patients as much as possible. Thus, this study aims to account for the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreaks on the healthcare workers of medical school hospitals in terms of their perceived stress and coping styles.

Method

This cross-sectional study was conducted from June to August, 2021. 517 HCWs self-administered the online survey. Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) in Thai-version was used to examine the perceived stress symptoms. Brief-COPE score was used to determine the coping strategies. Independent sample t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multivariable regression analysis were utilized. The level of significance was set at p-value < 0.05.

Result

The prevalence of perceived stress among the HCWs was 41.97%. Coping strategies were used to deal with stress during the outbreak for problem-solving (Mean ± SD = 0.25 ± 0.60) and positive attitude (Mean ± SD = 2.85 ± 0.62). Significant difference was observed in the use of coping strategies among those who differ in marital status (F2, 514 = 7.234, p-value = 0.001), having children (t515 = -4.175, p-value < 0.001), and days off (t515 = -1.992, p-value = 0.047). Multivariable regression analysis reported who those perceived stress symptoms using social support more than those normal stress (AOR 1.54, 95% CI 1.070–2.236, p-value = 0.02). The perceived stress symptoms group used the avoidance strategy 2.03 times more than the other group (AOR 2.03, 95% CI 1.406–2.934, p-value < 0.001). Interestingly, the participants who perceived stress symptoms applied a positive attitude strategy lesser than those who experienced normal stress (57.5%) (AOR 0.42, 95% CI 0.307–0.590, p-value < 0.001).

Conclusion

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental distress remains. The findings of this study suggest further study to assess the HCWs’ stress after the pandemic. HCWs should consider merging each of the coping strategies to balance work and lifestyle in pandemic situations.

Evaluation of Expressive Arts Therapy on the Resilience of University Students in COVID-19: A Network Analysis Approach

As an alternative to traditional verbal counselling, expressive arts therapy has been shown to be an effective method of mental health care, particularly when dealing with stressful public interactions, such as those associated with COVID-19. However, few studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of expressive arts therapy on the resilience of psychologically exposed university students during COVID-19. Furthermore, since network analysis appears to be a popular approach in psychological research, it has not been used in recent intervention studies for resilience. As a result, the current study utilized a network analysis approach to determine the efficacy of expressive arts therapy on the resilience of university students during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 263 students in a comprehensive university in China were selected for the therapy group between March and November 2021. In a pre-post design, students’ resilience was assessed using the Resiliency Scale for University Students (RSUS). The extended Bayesian information criteria (EBIC) and graphical LASSO were used to estimate and define paired resilience networks, and the strength, betweenness, and closeness indices were utilized to determine the centrality of the six facets of resilience. Additionally, we verified the stability and accuracy. It was discovered that significant differences appeared between the paired networks before and after expressive arts therapy. Facets of self-efficacy, self-acceptance and problem-solving in resilience were notably improved after the therapy, with the variable of emotional stability sustained at the mean level. Meanwhile, the network analysis has highlighted the central variable of self-efficacy in the pre-intervention and support from friends in the post-intervention. The connectivity among the components of problem solving, support from friends, and support from family was enhanced, with support from friends playing the role of hub nod in the following network. By utilizing a network analytic approach, expressive arts therapy can be more targeted in intervening in resilience mechanisms. As a proxy for efficacious problem-solving, intervention should be calibrated to the cultivation of social support networks, especially in the support from friends.

Exploring the relationship between mental health-related problems and undergraduate student dropout: A case study within a civil engineering program

Dropout has always been a concerning issue within higher education. This research explores the relationship between mental health-related problems and undergraduate students' dropout rates amid the COVID-19 pandemic and within a civil engineering program. The study is quantitative descriptive, with a non-experimental and longitudinal design. Results show that the dropout rates of civil engineering students from a private university have increased, comparing before and after the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily due to mental health-related problems. Three strong tendencies within these rates have been detected, directly related to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was concluded that undergraduate students' mental health had been undermined due to the pandemics, which has had an immediate impact on the increase of dropout rates.

Self-Determination as a Mechanism for Personality Sustainability in Conditions of Daily Stress

During the COVID-19 pandemic, uncertainty, threat to life, and repeated lockdowns have significantly undermined people’s psychological well-being. In such situations, the basic needs for self-determination (SDT) are disrupted—autonomy, connectedness, and competence—but it is the resulting dissatisfaction that actualizes a search for strategies to cope with the problem. The objective of this article is to critically review the literature on various ways that people are coping with specific experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their relationship to basic needs to maintain sustainability. We searched on the Web of Science CC database for relevant studies (2020–2021) and their systematization from the standpoint of Self-Determination Theory (SDT). This showed the dynamics of coping methods, reflecting a transition from confusion when confronted with stress, to the selection of effective strategies, confirming that when basic needs are blocked for a long time, people begin to search for a way to satisfy them. We present three levels of grouped coping methods: (1) physiological, (2) behavioral, and (3) cognitive, demonstrating their interrelationship with orientation (to oneself or to the context), assessment (a threat or a challenge), and basic psychological needs. The proposed model opens up prospects for creating effective coping and training programs for sustainable development of the individual in crisis situations.

Impact of COVID-19 on School Populations and Associated Factors: A Systematic Review

Apart from the severe impact on public health and well-being, the chain effect resulting from the COVID-19 health crisis is a profound disruption for various other sectors, notably in education. COVID-19 has driven massive transformation in many aspects of the educational landscape, particularly as teaching and learning shifted online due to school closure. Despite the many impacts of the health crises on school populations, a systematic review regarding this particular issue has yet to be conducted. This study, therefore, attempts to comprehensively review the impact of health crises on school populations (student, teacher, parent, and school administration). An extensive literature search guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reporting checklist was performed in two selected databases, namely Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus to identify how this particular topic was previously studied. Exclusion and inclusion criteria were set to ensure that only research papers written in English from the year 2000 to the present (April 2021) were included. From a total of 457 studies screened, only 41 of them were deemed eligible to be included for qualitative synthesis. The findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic was the only health crisis discussed when it comes to investigating the impact of health crises on school populations. This study found four notable consequences of health crises on school populations, which are impacts on mental health, teaching and learning, quality of life, and physical health. Among factors associated with the impact of the health crises are; demographic factors, concerns about the pandemic, education-related factors, health-related factors, geographic factors, economic concerns, teaching challenges, and parenting in the pandemic. This study is expected to be a reference for future works in formulating crises mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of health crises on schools by exploring the contexts of the crises.

Constructing an Online Sustainable Educational Model in COVID-19 Pandemic Environments

The outbreak of COVID-19 forced billions of learners to stay at home in order to receive online education. The aim of the study is to construct an online sustainable educational model to facilitate this learning approach. This study included 53 peer-reviewed articles for the review study following the selection process of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P) and the clustering techniques of VOSviewer. It is concluded that the model consists of online educational platforms, online assessment systems, social media, and digital literacy. With these features, online education could be sustained. However, challenges should also be addressed to sustain online education during the pandemic. Designers, scientists, and teachers should make every effort to increase learning engagement, enhance learning supervision, formulate adequate emergency programs, minimize educational inequalities, solve technical issues, and formulate systematic learning management and organization. The sustainable online educational model may be updated and perfected by including more practical features in the future.

Coping Strategies for Stress Used by People Working in Managerial Positions in Schools and Educational Establishments during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Although the ability to deal with stress is one of the key competences of people working in managerial positions in schools and educational establishments, principals in this area are very poorly diagnosed. The aim of this study was to consider the coping strategies used by headmasters and deputy headmasters of schools and educational establishments during the COVID-19 pandemic. For this purpose, Mini-COPE was used. The respondents (N = 159) obtained a higher mean for “active coping”, “planning”, “positive reframing”, “acceptance”, “use of instrumental support”, “venting”, and “problem-focused strategies” than the normative value. Compared to deputy headmasters, headmasters obtained higher mean results for “planning” and “religion”, and lower results for “behavioral disengagement”. Respondents with longer job seniority in a managerial position, obtained a higher mean for “use of instrumental support” and lower for “religion”. Compared to respondents employed in private schools, people in the public education sector are more likely to use “behavioral disengagement” and less their “sense of humor”. The respondents working in primary schools scored higher on average for “use of instrumental support” and “problem-focused strategies”. It would be advisable to compare the results with the teachers and the persons holding managerial positions in institutions and organizations not related to education.

Relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19 among Wuhan college students during the post-pandemic period: A moderated chain mediation model

OBJECTIVES

After a long-term lockdown, particularly one in which human life is at risk, negative psychological consequences are expected. In this study, we aimed to explore the cause of stress and fear of coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) among Chinese college students in Wuhan during the latest strictest lockdown.

METHODS

During the COVID-19 outbreak, 1,070 college students from Wuhan, aged 18-29 years, took part in an online survey. We used correlations, bootstrap tests, and other statistical analysis methods to analyze the data.

RESULTS

Negative coping style significantly positively predicted fear of COVID-19, and stress had a significant mediating effect on the relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19. In addition, rumination and stress had a chain-mediating effect on the relationship between negative coping style and fear of COVID-19. Perceived social support moderated the three paths of this serial mediation model.

CONCLUSION

Negative emotions, such as stress and fear of COVID-19, in college students are caused by both behavior (e.g., negative coping style) and cognition (e.g., rumination). Importantly, negative cognitive thinking (i.e., rumination) is often a malign consequence of a negative coping style. Thus, to improve students' mental health, students should be encouraged to engage in more positive behaviors and seek social support during periods of adherence to regular prevention and control measures.

Perceived Stress among School Students in Distance Learning During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Gaza Strip, Palestine

The rapid outbreak of COVID-19 is a global health problem that has a significant effect on the educational systems. Therefore, students shifted to distance learning through the digital platform. Since COVID-19 has consequences on mental health, the present study examined the perceived stress level in school students in distance learning during the COVID-19 period. A cross-sectional study of a sample consisting of 385 school students evaluated the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and their concerns and emotions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that the mean value of the total PSS scores was 19.50 ± 9.28. About 48.6% of students had moderate stress, 28.8% had low stress, and 22.6% had high stress. Significant associations were found between the level of stress and demographic variables: age, gender, educational level, and place of residence. Female students were significantly higher than the male students in the mean score of perceived stress level (20.14 versus 18.13; p-value = 0.018). Females were more likely (53.4%) to have moderate stress than males (38.2%) (p = 0.019). The students aged 15–18 years were significantly higher than those aged 11–14 years in the mean score of perceived stress level (22.64 versus 17.24, respectively; p-value < 0.001). The students aged 15–18 years were also more likely (n = 536, 96.4%) to had high levels of stress than the younger students (p < 0.001). The results showed that secondary school students were significantly higher than primary school students in the mean score of perceived stress level (23.75 versus 16.76, respectively; p < 0.001). Secondary students were also more likely (43.0%) to have high stress than primary students (9.4%) (p < 0.001). Students who live in the Rafah governorate had a significantly lowest mean score of perceived stress level when compared to other counterparts (p-value = 0.005). Gender (β = − 0.282, P < 0.001), age (β = − 0.379, P = 0.004), place of residence (β = − 0.096, P = 0.034), and educational level (β = 0.845, P < 0.001) were predictors of perceived stress. The results revealed moderate to high levels of stress in school students in the Gaza Strip during schools closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence of psychological distress attributed to suddenly shifted from traditional learning to distance learning. The incorporation of stress management programs and online counselling will minimize stress and enhance the mental health of school students during distance learning.

COVID-19-Related Variables and Its Association with Anxiety and Suicidal Ideation: Differences Between International and Local University Students in Taiwan

Purpose

The present study examined the differences between international and local university students in Taiwan regarding COVID-19-related variables, anxiety, and suicidal ideation.

Participants and Methods

An online cross-sectional survey (sent via an online link in an email) was carried out comprising university students (n=529). The students were assessed on measures (including validated psychometric instruments) of perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived sufficiency of resources, sources of COVID-19 information, perceived satisfaction with support, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

Results

Local students had higher susceptibility to COVID-19 (p<0.001) but decreased sufficiency with resources (p<0.001) and anxiety (p<0.001) compared with international students. Staying with family members, satisfaction with support, and information seeking were the factors that predicted anxiety among international students (all p-values<0.05), while information seeking predicted local students’ anxiety (p<0.001). Furthermore, staying with family members, susceptibility to COVID-19, and sufficiency with resources were the factors that predicted suicidal ideation among international students (all p-values<0.05), while being a male and satisfaction with support predicted suicidal ideation among local students (all p-values<0.05).

Conclusion

International students displayed different COVID-19-related challenges compared with local students. More specifically, international students as compared with local students had lower susceptibility to COVID-19 and higher anxiety. Therefore, healthcare providers should pay more attention to international students’ psychological health and awareness regarding impacts of COVID-19 on health.

The Mediating Role of Orthorexia in the Relationship between Physical Activity and Fear of COVID-19 among University Students in Poland

Previous research showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has a significant impact on the wellbeing and lifestyle of populations worldwide, including eating and physical activity (PA) patterns. The present study aims to examine the mediating effect of orthorexia on the relationship between PA and fear of COVID-19. A sample of 473 university students from Poland of a mean age of 22 years (M = 22.04, SD = 2.90, 47% of women) participated in the cross-sectional online survey study. Continuous variables were measured using the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Test of Orthorexia Nervosa (TON-17), while categorical variables divided participants into the physically active and inactive group regarding WHO criteria (150 min per week). Weak gender differences were found. Active people showed lower fear of COVID-19 and higher orthorexia scores than those inactive. Orthorexia was found as a suppressor variable, which increases the negative predictive value of PA on fear of COVID-19. The model of cooperative suppression explained 7% of FCV-19S. The mechanism of mediation showed that health-related behavior could help reduce fear of COVID-19, but caution is necessary for people with addictive behavior tendencies. Universities should support university students by offering programs focused on increasing healthy lifestyles and improving wellbeing.

The Relationship Between Fear of COVID-19 and Depression, Anxiety, and Stress

Abstract. The COVID-19 pandemic has had significant effects on public health. Previous studies showed that the fear of COVID-19 was positively correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress. This study aims to compile and meta-analyze the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and depression, anxiety, and stress among the general population. The studies published between March 2020 and June 2021 were scanned from various databases (Google Scholar, PubMed, Web of Science [ISI], and SCOPUS). As a result of the literature search, 746 studies were reached, 88 studies were found suitable, and 21 met the inclusion criteria. Comprehensive Meta-Analysis (CMA Version 3.0) and metafor package in R were used for analyses. A strong relationship was observed between the fear of COVID-19 and anxiety ( r = .55, p < .001); there were moderate relationships between the fear of COVID-19 and depression ( r = .34, p < .001) and stress ( r = .44, p < .001). All these relationships were significant. The results showed that the relationships between the fear of COVID-19 and depression, anxiety, and stress had a high level of heterogeneity. Meta-regression analyses revealed that the average of the sample age was a significant predictor of the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety. However, other covariates (female proportion and culture) were not statistically significant for the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and anxiety. None of these covariates was significant predictors of the relationship between fear of COVID-19 with depression and stress. Although the current meta-analysis has some limitations, the results revealed that the fear of COVID-19 is associated with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress.