Frontiers in Psychiatry (Jan 2024)
Students' mental health during the pandemic: results of the observational cross-sectional COVID-19 MEntal health inTernational for university Students (COMET-S) study
- Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis,
- Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis,
- Nor Aziah Alias,
- Sarah Bjedov,
- Nikolaos K. Fountoulakis,
- Xenia Gonda,
- Jan Hilbig,
- Miro Jakovljević,
- Barbara Kulig,
- Barbara Kulig,
- Girija Mahale,
- Alexandros Manafis,
- Muftau Mohammed,
- Ilia Nadareishvili,
- Alvydas Navickas,
- Mikaella E. Patsali,
- Mikaella E. Patsali,
- Alexey Pavlichenko,
- Sindija Mairita Pilaga,
- Salmi Razali,
- Dmitry Romanov,
- Iakimova Rossitza,
- Auwal Sani Salihu,
- Auwal Sani Salihu,
- Ana Sinauridze,
- Maria Stoyanova,
- Ketaki Thosar,
- Julija Vorobjova,
- Jelena Vrublevska,
- Jelena Vrublevska,
- Jelena Vrublevska,
- Elmars Rancans,
- Elmars Rancans,
- Afzal Javed,
- Afzal Javed,
- Afzal Javed,
- Pavlos N. Theodorakis,
- Joao Breda,
- Daria Smirnova
Affiliations
- Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis
- 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Konstantinos N. Fountoulakis
- WHO Collaboration Center for Quality in Mental Health, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Nor Aziah Alias
- Academic Affairs Division, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Sarah Bjedov
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Nikolaos K. Fountoulakis
- Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Xenia Gonda
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Jan Hilbig
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Miro Jakovljević
- School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
- Barbara Kulig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Barbara Kulig
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
- Girija Mahale
- 0Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Pune, India
- Alexandros Manafis
- 1Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
- Muftau Mohammed
- 2Department of Mental Health, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria
- Ilia Nadareishvili
- 3David Tvildiani Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Alvydas Navickas
- Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
- Mikaella E. Patsali
- 4School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece
- Mikaella E. Patsali
- 5Department of Internal Medicine, Nicosia General Hospital, Nicosia, Cyprus
- Alexey Pavlichenko
- 6Education Center, Mental-Health Clinic No. 1 n.a. N.A. Alexeev of Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russia
- Sindija Mairita Pilaga
- 7Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Salmi Razali
- 8Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
- Dmitry Romanov
- 9Department of Psychiatry, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
- Iakimova Rossitza
- 0Second Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment in Neurology and Psychiatry “Saint Naum”, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Auwal Sani Salihu
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
- Auwal Sani Salihu
- 2Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Kano, Nigeria
- Ana Sinauridze
- 3Georgian Medical Students' Association, Tbilisi, Georgia
- Maria Stoyanova
- 0Second Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment in Neurology and Psychiatry “Saint Naum”, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Ketaki Thosar
- 0Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Pune, India
- Julija Vorobjova
- 7Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Jelena Vrublevska
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Jelena Vrublevska
- 5Institute of Public Health, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Jelena Vrublevska
- 6Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga, Latvia
- Elmars Rancans
- 4Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
- Elmars Rancans
- 6Riga Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga, Latvia
- Afzal Javed
- 7Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
- Afzal Javed
- 8Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
- Afzal Javed
- 9Pakistan Psychiatric Research Centre, Fountain House, Lahore, Pakistan
- Pavlos N. Theodorakis
- 0Health Policy, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Joao Breda
- 1WHO Athens Quality of Care Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Daria Smirnova
- 2International Centre for Education and Research in Neuropsychiatry, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1320156
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 14
Abstract
IntroductionThe aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and methodsThis is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 “non-binary gender” (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios.ResultsDysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders.DiscussionThe current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.
Keywords
