Impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of university students in Spain and their attitudes toward Mobile mental health solutions

Abstract

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had an impact on several aspects of life, including university students’ mental health. Mobile mental care applications (apps) comprise a form of online mental care that enables the delivery of remote mental care. ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of university students in Spain and to explore their attitudes toward the use of mobile mental care apps. MethodRespondents answered a survey, which comprised two sections. The first included the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) that was employed to assess the students’ mental health. The second section included six questions developed by the authors to explore the students’ attitudes toward mental care apps. ResultsThe results showed that the students suffered from anxiety and depression as well as social dysfunction. Further, 91.3 % of the students had never used a mobile app for mental health, 36.3 % were unaware of such apps, and 79.2 % were willing to use them in the future. ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the psychological health of university students. Mobile mental care apps may be an effective and efficient way to access mental care, particularly during a pandemic.