Resilience experienced by university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative exploration based on focus-group interviews

Abstract

PurposeUniversity students have been one of the most affected groups worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, having experienced increased stress, anxiety, and depression. Resilience is reported as the most predictive factor in decreasing the impact of the threats of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, university students’ resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic has not received much attention; this is a research gap that this study aimed to address. MethodsSeventeen 2nd- and 4th-year South Korean students who had experienced at least one year of university life during the COVID-19 pandemic participated in this study between June and July 2021.This study involved three focus-group interviews that were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. ResultsEight conceptual categories emerged from the three main themes distilled from participants’ responses: 1) factors impeding resilience: experience of loss, experience of a dangerous situation, expansion of uncertainty, and accumulated stress; 2) strategies to strengthen resilience: change and innovation, loss and confrontation, and transcendence; and 3) outcomes from strengthening resilience: adapting to the changing world (“the new normal”). Conclusions: This study found several factors that impede resilience and strategies to further support resilience. Universities and relevant community organizations can use these findings to develop educational programs and interventions to strengthen resilience in university students, helping them to better cope with future challenges and overcome adversity.