Abstract
In Italy strict containment measures against COVID-19 pandemic were implemented from March to May 2020 with home confinement and schools and universities closed. Students shifted to remote learning, experienced a forced isolation from peers and an increased sharing of time and spaces with the family. The influence of these aspects on the psychological adjustment of university students is largely unexplored. This paper was aimed at investigating the role of some correlates of depressive symptoms specific to the lockdown condition experienced by young university students, namely contagion concern, perceived worsening of family, and peer relationships and perceived worsening of learning skills. Moreover, the possible mediating effects of emotional and academic self-efficacy in these relationships were examined. Data were collected from 296 Italian university students (aged 18–25 years; 83% female students) through an online survey by means of a snowball sampling methodology in May 2020. Significant depressive symptoms were reported by 67% of participants. Contagion concerns were related to depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of emotional self-efficacy. Worsening of learning skills was related to depressive symptoms through the mediating effect of academic self-efficacy. Depressive symptoms were directly related to worsening of family relationships but unrelated to worsening of peer relationships. Results are discussed in relation to the need of preventive interventions for this specific population in view of academic activities planning in the post-COVID 19 period.
Highlights
In early 2020 Italy was the first western country to experience the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak
The present study examined the role of some correlates of depressive symptoms of young university students during the first COVID-19 Italian lockdown (March–May 2020), namely contagion concern, perceived worsening of family and peer relationships, and perceived worsening of learning skills
The present study explored how COVID-19 lockdown affected academic activities and learning skills, as well as relationships with family and peers and mental health in a group of Italian university students
Summary
In early 2020 Italy was the first western country to experience the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The closure of schools and universities and the interruption of leisure activities have affected habitual routines, forcing young people to share a lot of time with their families and, on the contrary, interrupting face-to-face relationships with peers This is a condition never experienced before by most of the current Western population, whose psychological effects are being studied all over the world. We chose to examine the role of emotional and academic self-efficacy because during the lockdown, young students had to manage negative emotions related to the fear of contagion and to home confinement They had to face remote learning, a completely new situation for which they had no previous experience of effective management (Besser et al, 2020). Remote learning required new ways of regulating learning activities in order to face academic demands These aspects are expected to influence students’ self-efficacy beliefs and these in turn might be related to depressive symptoms
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
