Pandemic and student mental health: mental health symptoms among university students and young adults after the first cycle of lockdown in the UK

BJPsych Open

article

Nicole K. Y. Tang¹  Katharine A. M. McEnery¹  Laura Chandler²  Carla Toro²  Lukasz Walasek¹  Hannah Friend³  Sai Gu⁴  Swaran P. Singh⁵  Caroline Meyer² 

[1] Department of Psychology, University of Warwick;Warwick Manufacturing Group, University of Warwick;Wellbeing and Safeguarding Group, Professional Services, University of Warwick;Executive Office and School of Engineering, University of Warwick;Division of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Warwick Medical School

关键词: University students;    young adults;    mental health;    well-being;    COVID-19;   

DOI  :  10.1192/bjo.2022.523

学科分类：计算机科学（综合）

来源: Canadian Society For Pharmaceutical Sciences (Csps).

【 摘 要 】

Background Early COVID-19 research suggests a detrimental impact of theinitial lockdown on young people’s mental health.AimsWe investigated mental health among university students andyoung adults after the first UK lockdown and changes in symptoms over 6 months.MethodIn total, 895 university students and 547 young adults not inhigher education completed an online survey at T1 (July–September 2020). A subset of 201 university students alsocompleted a 6 month follow-up survey at T2 (January–March2021). Anxiety, depression, insomnia, substance misuse andsuicide risk were assessed.ResultsAt T1, approximately 40%, 25% and 33% of the participantsreported moderate to severe anxiety and depression and substance misuse risk, clinically significant insomnia and suicidalrisk. In participants reassessed at T2, reductions were observedin anxiety and depression but not in insomnia, substance misuseor suicidality. Student and non-student participants reportedsimilar levels of mental health symptoms. Student status was nota significant marker of mental health symptoms, except for lowersubstance misuse risk.Cross-sectionally, greater symptoms across measures wereconsistently associated with younger age, pre-existing mentalhealth conditions, being a carer, worse financial status,increased sleep irregularity and difficulty since lockdown.Longitudinally, T2 symptoms were consistently associated withworse financial status and increased difficulty sleeping at T1.However, these associations were attenuated when baselinemental health symptoms were adjusted for in the models.ConclusionsMental health symptoms were prevalent in a large proportion ofyoung people after the first UK lockdown. Risk factors identifiedmay help characterise high-risk groups for enhanced supportand inform interventions.

【 授权许可】

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