Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, Sakaka 72341, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 1;19(21):14282. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192114282.
The COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictive measures have substantially affected educational processes around the globe, resulting in psychological distress among students. The mental health of students in higher education is of paramount importance, and the COVID-19 pandemic has brought this vulnerable population into renewed focus. In this context, the evaluation of students' mental health at educational institutes has gained invaluable popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to ascertain the psychological health and coping strategies among students from a higher education institute in Saudi Arabia.
An online study instrument was used to assess anxiety (Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, GAD-7), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, PHQ-9), post-traumatic stress disorder-PTSD (Impact of Event Scale-Revised, IES-R) and coping strategies (Brief-COPE). The severity of the psychological distress was classified as per the scoring criteria and correlated with demographics using appropriate statistical methods.
Of 1074 students (age 21.1 ± 2.1 years), 12.9% and 9.7% had severe anxiety and depression, respectively. The mean anxiety and depression scores were 7.50 ± 5.51 and 9.31 ± 6.72, respectively. About one-third (32%) of students reported suicidal ideation, with 8.4% students having such thoughts nearly every day. The average PTSD score was 21.64 ± 17.63, where avoidance scored higher (8.10 ± 6.94) than intrusion and hyperarousal. There was no association of anxiety, depression and PTSD score with the demographics of the study participants. Religious/spiritual coping (5.43 ± 2.15) was the most adoptive coping mechanism, followed by acceptance (5.15 ± 2.10). Male students were significantly ( < 0.05) associated with active copings, instrumental support, planning, humor, acceptance and religious coping. Substance use was the least adopted coping strategy but practiced by a considerable number of students.
The long-lasting pandemic situation, onerous protective measures and uncertainties in educational procedures have resulted in a high prevalence of psychological ailments among university students, as indicated in this study. These findings accentuate the urgent need for telepsychiatry and appropriate population-specific mental health services to assess the extent of psychological impairment and to leverage positive coping behaviors among students.
COVID-19 大流行及其相关的限制措施极大地影响了全球的教育进程，导致学生出现心理困扰。高等教育学生的心理健康至关重要，COVID-19 大流行使这一弱势群体再次成为焦点。在这种情况下，在 COVID-19 大流行期间，教育机构对学生心理健康的评估变得非常受欢迎。本研究旨在确定沙特阿拉伯一所高等教育机构学生的心理健康和应对策略。
使用在线研究工具评估焦虑症（广泛性焦虑障碍 7 项，GAD-7）、抑郁症（患者健康问卷 9 项，PHQ-9）、创伤后应激障碍 - PTSD（修订后的事件影响量表，IES-R）和应对策略（Brief-COPE）。根据评分标准将心理困扰的严重程度进行分类，并使用适当的统计方法与人口统计学数据相关联。
在 1074 名学生（年龄 21.1 ± 2.1 岁）中，分别有 12.9%和 9.7%的学生有严重的焦虑和抑郁。焦虑和抑郁的平均得分分别为 7.50 ± 5.51 和 9.31 ± 6.72。大约三分之一（32%）的学生报告有自杀意念，其中 8.4%的学生几乎每天都有这种想法。平均 PTSD 评分为 21.64 ± 17.63，其中回避得分较高（8.10 ± 6.94），而侵入和过度警觉得分较低。焦虑、抑郁和 PTSD 评分与研究参与者的人口统计学特征无关。宗教/精神应对（5.43 ± 2.15）是最常采用的应对机制，其次是接受（5.15 ± 2.10）。与女性相比，男性学生明显（<0.05）与积极应对、工具性支持、计划、幽默、接受和宗教应对有关。药物使用是最不被采用的应对策略，但仍有相当数量的学生采用。
本研究表明，持久的大流行状况、繁重的保护措施和教育程序的不确定性导致大学生中出现高发病率的心理疾病。这些发现强调了迫切需要远程精神病学和针对特定人群的心理健康服务，以评估学生心理障碍的程度，并利用学生的积极应对行为。
