Abstract
The current study aimed at increasing our understanding of the psychological impact of the COVID-19 lockdown on undergraduate students, particularly with respect to the association between personality traits; defense mechanisms (DMs); depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (DASSs); and compliance with the government recommended health measures. A sample of 1,427 Italian undergraduate students were administered the Personality Inventory for the DSM-5—Brief Form; the Defense Style Questionnaire-40; and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21. Compliance with the COVID-19 behavioral recommendations was measured through a 10-item survey measure. Results showed that immature DMs and internalizing personality traits (i.e., detachment, negative affect, psychoticism) were risk factors of DASSs. Furthermore, subjects with higher levels of DASSs appeared less compliant with the health measures recommended by the Italian government. Experts may use these results to identify and subsequently support (via the Internet) young subjects at greater risk of mental health problems as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Highlights
Beginning in late 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., COVID-19) virus spread extremely quickly around the world, resulting in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a pandemic on 11 March 2020
The results showed that female gender, negative affect, and detachment were associated with higher levels of depression, anxiety, and stress
The present results highlight the significant impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy on the mental health of undergraduate students, showing a common experience of depression, anxiety, and stress—possibly dependent on personality functioning
Summary
Beginning in late 2019, the SARS-CoV-2 (i.e., COVID-19) virus spread extremely quickly around the world, resulting in the World Health Organization (WHO) declaring it a pandemic on 11 March 2020. Scientific reports have consistently indicated that quarantine measures to control the spread of COVID-19 are likely to trigger or exacerbate mental health problems, highlighting the need for a global response to reduce these negative consequences, in both pre-existing patients and the general population [1]. Torales et al [1] explained that COVID-19 has led to health problems in the general public, such as stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, as well as insomnia, denial, anger, and fear. The survey included sociodemographic questions (i.e., age, gender, education), as well as the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale −21 item [DASS-21; [6]] and the Personality Inventory for DSM-5–Brief Form–Adult
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