The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Portuguese university students.

Abstract

Worldwide, the COVID‐19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on daily routines, especially for university students. This study aimed to compare pre‐pandemic domains of students' mental health during the pandemic lockdown. One cross‐sectional study was conducted in two waves with academic students from 20 Portuguese universities, in March 2020 before the COVID‐19 pandemic (n = 3579) and 2 months after the first lockdown in May 2020 (n = 1228). The Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ), the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire, the Mental Health‐promoting knowledge, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale were used. Statistical analyses were performed by bivariate associations and multiple linear regression models. Students were mostly women (79%), with an average age of 23.2 years (SD = 6.6), displaced from their family environment (43%), out‐of‐home (43%), and scholarship holders (37%). Higher scores found in the PVS were associated with decreased PMHQ in both moments (P < 0.01). These cross‐sectional studies showed a slight variation in the mental health variables studied in the period before and during the COVID‐19 outbreak. Being a woman, younger, out‐of‐home, and having a scholarship (P < 0.01) seem to increase susceptibility to mental health variation before and during the pandemic. Universities should develop strategies that promote students’ mental health.