University Students’ Mental Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings from the UniCoVac Qualitative Study

• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19159322
• Publication Date: 2022-08-01T03:37:29Z
• Authors: Mayuri Gogoi; Adam Webb; Manish Pareek; Christopher D. Ba...; Lieve Gies
• Keywords: Pandemic; Globe

The worldwide spread of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in early 2020 affected all major sectors, including higher education. measures to contain this deadly led closure colleges and universities across globe, disrupting lives millions students subjecting them a new world online learning. These sudden disturbances coupled with demands learning system experiences living through have placed additional strains on mental health university students. Research students’ health, conducted during pandemic, found high levels stress, anxiety depression among In qualitative study, we aimed understand how student well-being by conducting in-depth interviews 34 undergraduate enrolled UK university. All were Microsoft Teams recorded prior permission. Transcripts thematically analysed which identified two broad themes: (i) University pandemic; (ii) factors that influenced well-being. further distributed six sub-themes: (a) isolation; (b) well-being; (c) bereavement; (d) academic concerns; (e) financial worries and; (f) support, coping, resilience. Our study identifies importance support pandemics calls for improve access services these crisis points universities. Findings can also inform risk assessments aftermath pandemic.