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Students' mental health during the pandemic: results of the observational cross-sectional COVID-19 MEntal health inTernational for university Students (COMET-S) study

Fountoulakis KN 1 , Alias NA 2 , Bjedov S 3 , Fountoulakis NK 4 , Gonda X 5 , Hilbig J 6 Show all authors , Jakovljević M 7 , Kulig B 5 , Mahale G 8 , Manafis A 9 , Mohammed M 10 , Nadareishvili I 11 , Navickas A 6 , Patsali ME 12 , Pavlichenko A 13 , Pilaga SM 14 , Razali S 15 , Romanov D 16 , Rossitza I 17 , Salihu AS 18 , Sinauridze A 19 , Stoyanova M 17 , Thosar K 8 , Vorobjova J 14 , Vrublevska J 20 , Rancans E 20 , Javed A 21 , Theodorakis PN 22 , Breda J 23 , Smirnova D 24

Affiliations 

  • 1 3rd Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Greece, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 2 Academic Affairs Division, Faculty of Education, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Psychiatry and Psychological Medicine, University Hospital Centre Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
  • 4 Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria
  • 5 Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
  • 6 Clinic of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty, Institute of Clinical Medicine, Vilnius University, Vilnius, Lithuania
  • 7 School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
  • 8 Symbiosis Centre for Emotional Wellbeing, Symbiosis International (Deemed) University, Pune, India
  • 9 Faculty of Medicine, School of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
  • 10 Department of Mental Health, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria
  • 11 David Tvildiani Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
  • 12 School of Social Sciences, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece
  • 13 Education Center, Mental-Health Clinic No. 1 n.a. N.A. Alexeev of Moscow Healthcare Department, Moscow, Russia
  • 14 Faculty of Medicine, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
  • 15 Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Malaysia
  • 16 Department of Psychiatry, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
  • 17 Second Psychiatric Clinic, University Hospital for Active Treatment in Neurology and Psychiatry "Saint Naum", Sofia, Bulgaria
  • 18 Department of Psychiatry, Bayero University, Kano, Nigeria
  • 19 Georgian Medical Students' Association, Tbilisi, Georgia
  • 20 Department of Psychiatry and Narcology, Riga Stradins University, Riga, Latvia
  • 21 Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
  • 22 Health Policy, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 23 WHO Athens Quality of Care Office, WHO Regional Office for Europe, Copenhagen, Denmark
  • 24 International Centre for Education and Research in Neuropsychiatry, Samara State Medical University, Samara, Russia
Front Psychiatry, 2023;14:1320156.
PMID: 38293595 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1320156

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the study was to search rates of depression and mental health in university students, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is an observational cross-sectional study. A protocol gathering sociodemographic variables as well as depression, anxiety and suicidality and conspiracism was assembled, and data were collected anonymously and online from April 2020 through March 2021. The sample included 12,488 subjects from 11 countries, of whom 9,026 were females (72.2%; aged 21.11 ± 2.53), 3,329 males (26.65%; aged 21.61 ± 2.81) and 133 "non-binary gender" (1.06%; aged 21.02 ± 2.98). The analysis included chi-square tests, correlation analysis, ANCOVA, multiple forward stepwise linear regression analysis and Relative Risk ratios.

RESULTS: Dysphoria was present in 15.66% and probable depression in 25.81% of the total study sample. More than half reported increase in anxiety and depression and 6.34% in suicidality, while lifestyle changes were significant. The model developed explained 18.4% of the development of depression. Believing in conspiracy theories manifested a complex effect. Close to 25% was believing that the vaccines include a chip and almost 40% suggested that facemask wearing could be a method of socio-political control. Conspiracism was related to current depression but not to history of mental disorders.

DISCUSSION: The current study reports that students are at high risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic and identified specific risk factors. It also suggested a role of believing in conspiracy theories. Further research is important, as it is targeted intervention in students' groups that are vulnerable both concerning mental health and conspiracism.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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