Mental Health Conditions as Predictor for Anxiety in Students During the Pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre-existing mental health disorders might be more susceptible to the negative effects associated with Covid-19 on their levels of anxiety. This research compared the experienced anxiety levels and duration between students with and without pre-existing mental health disorders and determined if these effects were persistent after one-year of lockdown. Differences between the types of mental health disorders were also explored. Students (N = 478) from three different courses were asked to fill out an online questionnaire about their mental health history and experienced anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students suffering from pre-existing mental health disorders (n = 167) experienced significantly greater anxiety levels and this anxiety is of greater duration compared to otherwise healthy...Show moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre-existing mental health disorders might be more susceptible to the negative effects associated with Covid-19 on their levels of anxiety. This research compared the experienced anxiety levels and duration between students with and without pre-existing mental health disorders and determined if these effects were persistent after one-year of lockdown. Differences between the types of mental health disorders were also explored. Students (N = 478) from three different courses were asked to fill out an online questionnaire about their mental health history and experienced anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students suffering from pre-existing mental health disorders (n = 167) experienced significantly greater anxiety levels and this anxiety is of greater duration compared to otherwise healthy students (n = 311). These effects persisted over a one-year period. Nationality of students significantly contributed to the levels of experienced anxiety with non-Dutch students reporting higher levels of anxiety relative to Dutch students. No apparent differences between the types of mental health disorder were found. Students with a mental health history seem to be impacted more by the pandemic. Underlying reasons may include decreased psychological flexibility and inadequate coping strategies to counteract the drastic changes experienced by the pandemic and ensuing lockdown. These findings demonstrate the vulnerable position some students are in and emphasises the need for the development of prevention programs and adequate treatment.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Mental Health Conditions as Predictor for Anxiety in Students During the Pandemic