Mediator Effect of Affinity for E-Learning on Mental Health: Buffering Strategy for the Resilience of University Students.

Dina Di Giacomo,Alessandra Martelli,Federica Cielo,Federica Guerra,Jessica Ranieri

doi:10.3390/ijerph18137098

Abstract

The pandemic affected the quality of life and wellness of the population, changing living habits through restriction measures. This study aimed to analyze the psychological impact of the fear of the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of e-learning for university students. The study was articulated in two research applications: the first application was a rapid review on the psychological effects of the pandemic on the emotional dimension of undergraduate students; the second application was an observational study on the effect of e-learning adoption in the pandemic emergency. In the first step, we performed a systematic search of MEDLINE through PubMed and the Web of Science [Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)] of all scientific literature published from May 2020 to February 2021. The reviewed articles suggest the impact of the pandemic and lockdown measures on university students due to several mental symptoms, including anxiety, stress, depression, event-specific distress, and a decrease in psychological well-being. Psychological symptoms were related to the experience of several stressors, such as the risk for a reduction of academic perspectives, massive e-learning adoption, economic issues, social restrictions, and implications for daily life related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The second scientific application was conducted to evaluate the affinity for e-learning on a sample composed of Italian undergraduates exposed to massive e-learning adoption. The results evidence the positive influence of e-learning in academic programs for the wellbeing of undergraduates. The mediator effect of the affinity of youth for e-learning can be considered to have had a buffering effect for professional advancement and for the mental health of university students in a public health emergency.

Highlights

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of pandemic [1].The clinical features of COVID-19 are varied, ranging from an asymptomatic state to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction
To identify potentially relevant studies for inclusion, we performed a systematic search of MEDLINE through PubMed and the Web of Science [Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED); Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI); Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI)] in the time range of March 2020–February 2021, with the terms ‘COVID-190, ‘psychological impact’, ‘mental health disorders’, ‘lockdown’ and ‘undergraduate’
We analyzed the performance of the participants in the psychological evaluations by academic program field

Summary

Introduction

In March 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a state of pandemic [1]. The clinical features of COVID-19 are varied, ranging from an asymptomatic state to acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ dysfunction. Due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus, many countries implemented a range of antiepidemic measures, such as keeping a physical distance, wearing a face mask, quarantine, and lockdown restrictions to contain transmission and avoid contact with others. The COVID-19 outbreak affected physical health, and mental health and wellbeing [5,6,7]. The COVID-19 pandemic has severely affected the entire general population. Psychosocial outcomes on young university students have been detected at the early stages as well at the prolonged stage of the pandemic, evidencing mental

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