Mental health status and coping strategies during COVID-19 pandemic among university students in Central Serbia

Frontiers in Psychiatry

Psychiatry

Snezana Radovanovic¹  Milan Djordjic²  Jelena R. Djordjevic³  Sladjana Veselinovic³  Sofija Čolović³  Ognjen Djordjevic⁴  Zivana Slovic⁵  Jelena Djordjevic⁶  Olgica Mihaljevic⁶  Ivana Simic Vukomanovic⁷  Katarina Janicijevic⁷  Jovana Radovanovic⁸  Viktor Selakovic⁸  Vladimir Janjic⁹  Milena Jovicic^1,10 

[1] Center for Harm Reduction of Biological and Chemical Hazards, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Communication Skills, Ethics, and Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Communication Skills, Ethics, and Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Clinic for Psychiatry, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Forensic Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Forensic Medicine and Toxicology Service, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Clinic for Psychiatry, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;Center for Harm Reduction of Biological and Chemical Hazards, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;University Clinical Centre Kragujevac, Clinic for Psychiatry, Kragujevac, Serbia;Department of Psychology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia;

关键词: anxiety;    Central Serbia;    COVID-19 pandemic;    coping strategies;    depression;    stress;    university students;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1226836

 received in 2023-05-22, accepted in 2023-08-29,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundThe objective of this research was to evaluate the occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress, as well as the level of life contentment and coping mechanisms employed by college students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 588 students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and the Higher School of Medicine, Kraljevo, University of Kragujevac, Central Serbia, participated in an online cross-sectional survey in the period September–October 2022. Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) was used to measure the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. The Coping Questionnaire—a shorter version (Brief Cope Inventories) assesses the coping strategies a person uses in stressful situations, and the 5-item Life Satisfaction Scale is used to examine the level of life satisfaction.ResultsThe symptoms of depression were reported by 34.9%, of anxiety by 47.1% and of stress by 44.2%. The type of faculty (p = 0.001), and place of residence (p = 0.036) correlated with depression, gender with anxiety (p = 0.001) and stress (p = 0.015). In terms of coping mechanisms, the most frequently mentioned strategies, based on average scores, were acceptance (5.76), positive interpretation (5.55), humor (5.46).ConclusionThe adverse impact of COVID-19 was a risk factor for depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. A negative correlation exists between the levels of depression, anxiety, and stress, and the overall life satisfaction of university students. Offering the necessary assistance through psychological interventions and effective coping techniques is crucial in ensuring the optimal mental health of university students.

【 授权许可】

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Copyright © 2023 Radovanovic, Selakovic, Mihaljevic, Djordjevic, Čolović, Djordjevic, Janjic, Jovicic, Veselinovic, Vukomanovic, Janicijevic, Slovic, Radovanovic, Djordjevic and Djordjic.