Mental Health Problems among University Students under the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic in Japan: A Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey

• DOI: 10.1620/tjem.2023.j012
• Publication Date: 2023-02-22T22:10:02Z
• Authors: Moe Seto; Hitomi Usukura; Yasuto Kunii; Yumiko Hamaie; Eiichi N. Kodama; Yuko Makino; Yoshitaka Kinouchi; Chihiro Ito; Tadayoshi Ikeda; Hiroaki Tomita
• Keywords: Pandemic; Cross-sectional study; Depression

Numerous studies have investigated the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on mental health among university students within a year its onset, but few examined prolonged life. This study aimed to evaluate COVID-19 in large community. Online questionnaire surveys were conducted from March 24 April 14 (first survey, n = 3,357) and December 2-23, 2021 (second 2,604). The questionnaires included items demographic data, living conditions, status as measured using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depressive symptoms Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 scale anxiety symptoms. results showed that, compared with undergraduate students, graduate except those Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmaceutical Science courses, had more Furthermore, significantly higher fourth- than first-year students. Logistic regression analyses data both revealed seven risk factors associated or that affected throughout pandemic: 1) female nonbinary gender, 2) student, 3) quarantine experience due COVID-19, 4) isolation friends acquaintances, 5) disorganized pattern daily life, 6) worse financial situation, 7) no availability consultations regarding health, finances. These findings suggest measures need be designed specific each course.