A Longitudinal Study on Generalized Anxiety Among University Students During the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic in Switzerland

Frontiers in Psychology

Simone Amendola¹  Julia Dratva²  Agnes von Wyl³  Annina Zysset⁴  Thomas Volken⁴  Marion Huber⁴ 

[1] Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy;Medical Faculty, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland;School of Applied Psychology, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Zurich, Switzerland;School of Health Professions, Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Winterthur, Switzerland;

关键词: anxiety;    longitudinal;    lockdown;    coronavirus;    COVID-19 pandemic;    linear mixed model;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.643171

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic and government measures implemented to counter the spread of the infection may be a major stressor affecting the psychological health of university students. This study aimed to explore how anxiety symptoms changed during the pandemic.Methods676 students (76% females) at Zurich University of Applied Sciences participated in the first (T0) and second (T1) survey waves. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-Scale-7 (GAD-7). Risk and protective factors (e.g., COVID-19-related variables) were examined.ResultsGAD-7 scores decreased significantly from T0 to T1 (mean change: −0.446, SE = 0.132, 95% CI: −0.706, −0.186, t = −3.371, df = 659, p = 0.001). Participants with moderate-to-severe anxiety score were 20.2 and 15.6% at T0 and T1, respectively. The following positively predicted anxiety: older age, female gender, non-Swiss nationality, loneliness, participants’ concern about their own health, and interaction between time and participants’ concern about their own health. Resilience and social support negatively predicted anxiety.ConclusionsOur findings provide information for public health measures and psychological interventions supporting the mental health of university students during the COVID-19 emergency.

【 授权许可】

Unknown