Abstract
BackgroundThe COVID-19 epidemic has sent students around the world in to lockdown. This study sought to assess the prevalence of impaired self-perceived mental health and identify associated factors among French post-secondary students during the lockdown.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted among French students living in the Grand Est area in France from May 7 to 17, 2020 during the first lockdown. An online survey was used to collect sociodemographic data, learning and teaching conditions, living conditions, and exposure to COVID-19, and self-perceived mental health was assessed with mental composite score (MCS) of the SF-12.ResultsOverall, 4018 were analyzed. Most participants were female (70.7%), and the mean age was 21.7 years (SD 4.0). The mean MCS score was 44.5 (SD 17.3). Impaired mental health, defined by a MCS < 1st Quartile, was mainly associated with female sex; decreased time for learning; not having access to the outside with a garden, a terrace or a balcony; difficulties with the living situation and having someone in the home affected by the SARS-COV2 requiring hospitalization or not.ConclusionsThis study showed that living conditions during lockdown had a clear impact on the mental health of French post-secondary students. There is a need to improve prevention and to access distance education as well as an urgent need for measures to develop healthy coping strategies for students. This is significant challenge and will assist in moderating the risk for the development of further distress and mental health concerns.
Highlights
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan in the east of China in December 2019 [1], has spread at an alarming rate and has become a major challenging public health problem around the world [2]
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To evaluate the self-perceived mental health of students and to understand their needs in order to develop appropriate responses, this study aimed to determine the socio-demographic and living conditions associated with impaired mental health among students in the Grand Est region during the first COVID-19 lockdown in France
Summary
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), first identified in Wuhan in the east of China in December 2019 [1], has spread at an alarming rate and has become a major challenging public health problem around the world [2]. In response to this pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of Baumann et al Health and Quality of Life Outcomes (2021) 19:265 international concern on January 30, 2020 [3]. This study sought to assess the prevalence of impaired self-perceived mental health and identify associated factors among French postsecondary students during the lockdown
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