COVID-19 Increased Psychological Distress Among UK University Students

Protracted and high levels of psychological distress and anxiety during the pandemic were reported among undergraduates at UK institutions, according to a new study that tracked well-being from 2020 to 2021. In addition, compared to pre-pandemic levels, they reported significantly lower levels of well-being, pleasure, and life satisfaction. The University of Bolton study, published in the British Journal of Educational Studies, shows how the strict lockdown measures - such as closing universities, forcing isolated study, and no in-person lectures or communion with peers - had a particularly striking impact on students, who faced major disruptions to their education and future career prospects (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Long-term Mental Health Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on University Students in the Uk: a Longitudinal Analysis Over 12 Months

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Isolation and Limited Support in Small Student Accommodation Rooms

“Often in small student accommodation rooms, undergraduates were cut off from friends and close family, and unable to rely on their usual routes for seeking physical or emotional support,” explains co-author Dr. Chathurika Kannangara, an Associate Teaching Professor in the Department of Psychology, at Bolton. “In addition, common entertainment and socialisation facilities such as restaurants, bars and clubs were closed for long periods - completely stripping away the normal social aspect of university life.”

Experts studied 554 undergraduates at UK universities for a year, from May 2020 to May 2021, to unearth the minute details. Students were polled on their mental health and well-being at four key points during the pandemic: May 2020, when the UK was in its seventh week of lockdown; June and July 2020, when lockdown measures were beginning to ease; November and December 2020, when stricter lockdown restrictions were implemented in the run-up to Christmas; and May 2021, when the UK was at Step 3 of the roadmap to exit lockdown restrictions.

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Increased Distress and Strain on Students during COVID-19

The findings revealed that during COVID-19, pupils experienced a rise in psychological discomfort. At times when COVID-19 instances were at their height, as well as times of lockdown and intense confinement, were also connected with lower mental wellness.

According to the data, pupils' psychological distress levels (between 13.8 and 15.6) were slightly higher than the national average of 12.59. Surprisingly, the new data also suggest that during the pandemic, students' psychological distress scores were consistently higher, and more severe, than health care professionals in the UK.

“Even in May 2020, at the first phase of data collection, psychological distress scores were already considerably above pre-pandemic levels,” adds lead author Rosie Allen, a Research Assistant at Bolton. “This could be because, on April 16th 2020, lockdown restrictions were extended for a further three weeks and on the 5th May 2020, the UK had the second highest daily death toll in the world.”

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Eased Lockdown Restrictions Led to Minor Relief and Potential for Recovery

Conversely, during the pandemic, when laws and limits were relaxed, there was a minor improvement. For example, there was a large decrease in anxiety in June and July 2020, when lockdown measures began to lighten and social distancing rules began to soften after a long period of rigorous isolation.

There were also indications that, by the end of the trial, levels of psychological discomfort were beginning to decrease, though the decrease was not statistically significant. This could be because students completed the final poll while the UK was pursuing the government's roadmap plan to gradually and indefinitely return to "normal."

The study also looked at students' happiness and well-being and discovered that both decreased dramatically between May 2020 and May 2021. According to co-author Professor Jerome Carson of the University of Bolton's School of Education and Psychology, there could be a variety of reasons why university students in the UK were unable to 'flourish' during this time. “University students, along with the rest of the population, experienced fear, anxiety, uncertainty, and health concerns produced by the pandemic,” he says. “However, in addition to this, the very ingredients that contribute towards flourishing and happiness were stripped away. For example, students experienced heightened loneliness and social isolation, which we know are linked to lower levels of flourishing. Likewise, building and maintaining healthy and effective relationships, a fundamental part of flourishing mental health was obstructed due to social distancing measures.”

Given the long-lasting and widespread changes to higher education after the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors argue that more should be done to support students physically, mentally, and academically. “There is clear evidence that the mental health needs of university students in the UK have increased since the outbreak of COVID-19,” they conclude.

The team suggests that new mental health services be made available through social media platforms or mobile phone apps, which "could combat the stigma associated with seeking professional help and would alleviate the strain on overburdened mental health services."

Reference:

1. Long-term Mental Health Impacts of the Covid-19 Pandemic on University Students in the Uk: a Longitudinal Analysis Over 12 Months - (https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00071005.2023.2215857)

Source-Medindia