Health Care : Current Reviews

The mental health and academic impact of COVID-19 pandemic on university students

10^th International Conference and Expo on Novel Physiotherapies and Physical Rehabilitation & 8^th World Congress on Health Economics, Health Policy and Healthcare Management & 50^th Global Nursing & Healthcare Conferen

September 07, 2022 | WEBINAR

Liljana Ramasaco, Erjona Abazaj and Blerta Brati

University â??Alexander Xhuvaniâ??, Albania
Institute of Public Health, Albania

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: Health Care Curr Rev

Abstract:

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19, caused by SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in a worldwide public health crisis. During the lockdown, students faced an abrupt transition to remote learning that significantly disrupted their routines, likely causing changes in mental health. The aimed study was to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 lockdown and remote learning on the academic and psycho-social mental health of students who were initially most affected. This is a cross-sectional descriptive study, conducted on university students of Tirana, Elbasan and Shkodra between November 2020 and March 2021. In total, 438 questionnaires were collected. The SPSS version 20.0 was used to analyze the data. The average age resulted in 21.7 years ± 2.4StD with min age of 18 years old and a max of 26 years old. Students were mostly females (82%), with a significant association with males. Almost half of them were at the Master’s level (50.9%) and the others at the Bachelor’s level (49.1%). About 74% live in the hostel or are displaced from their family environment and 40.6% were scholarship holders. The problem with mental health appeared in 28.5% of students. Lockdown, COVID-19 infection and academic and economic situations were accompanied by fear, stress and anxiety. Higher scores were found in fear and stress and there were the most predominant mental health problems among students (P < 0.01). The finding of this study indicated that students’ mental health was severely affected by COVID-19. Being a young female living in the hostel and having scholarships seems to increase susceptibility to mental health during the pandemic. Fear about COVID-19 infection for themselves and their families, stress for lower grades, online teaching, living conditions and loneliness or missing close contact with friends emerged as correlates of deteriorating mental health. Stakeholders and Universities especially the psychologist staff should develop strategies that promote students’ mental health. Importance of Research: The occurrence of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID19, caused by SARSCoV- 2) has resulted in a worldwide public health crisis. Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on daily routines, especially for university students. Historically, pandemics tend to increase or create new stressors such as worries, anxiety, fear of being infected or infecting loved ones and enforced constraints on physical movement and social activities due to lockdown, consequently leading to drastic lifestyle modifications. The individual experience of these young people may be associated with negative emotions, which are responsible for the onset of psychological distress.

Biography :

Liljana Ramasaco MD is a graduate of Tirana University, Faculty of Medicine in 1997 as a Medical Doctor and in the same year, she became part of the Gramsh Hospital as a physician. From August 2002 to May 2007, Dr. Ramasaço Family Doctor worked as a family physician on health services with a focus on diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients at the health center and community. For four Years 2009 to 2013 she held the post of Executive Director in Regional Health Authority Tirana. Meantime in 2013, Dr. Liljana Ramasaço gained the Ph.D. grade in the Faculty of Medicine, Tirana, with the theme HIV AIDS In Albania and in the same year, she gained the title Honoris Causa `Doctor of International Diplomacy` by the Academy of Universal Global Peace. She joined the Faculty of Technical Medical Sciences UT, Albanian University, University "Aleksander Xhuvani" in 2013 as a lecturer, a duty she still holds today.