Bird Laura J, McCabe Melinda, Lim Yen Ying, Cornish Kim
Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Front Psychol. 2023 Jan 11;13:1094497. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1094497. eCollection 2022.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) instigated unprecedented global effects on healthcare systems, economies, employment, education, travel, and social lives. In addition to increased mental health challenges, pandemic restrictions have triggered emerging cognitive concerns. University students are at particularly high risk of adverse lockdown-related effects, yet despite the substantial adaptions to learning necessitated by COVID-19, limited research has so far focused on the cognitive consequences of the pandemic among university students. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the nature, prevalence, and correlates of subjective cognitive concerns among 972 students (Median age = 22 years, 70% female) enrolled at Monash University, Australia, in December 2020.
Students completed the online THRIVE@Monash survey, 5 weeks following prolonged lockdown in Melbourne. Using group comparisons and hierarchical binary logistic regression analyses, we examined associations between demographic and enrolment characteristics, COVID-19-related experiences and impacts (author-developed questions), self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms (PROMIS Anxiety and Depression scales), and students' perceived changes in everyday cognitive functions (author-developed questions).
Over 60% of students reported subjective cognitive concerns (SCCs). After controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms, students reporting more SCCs were more likely to be younger, from White/European ethnic backgrounds, and in their first year of undergraduate study. No differences in SCCs were found between male and female students. Greater worry, anxiety, or stress related to COVID-19 (e.g., infection, leaving the house, hygiene and exposure prevention, impact on physical and mental health), and time spent reading or talking about COVID-19, were generally not associated with SCCs after controlling for anxiety and depression symptoms.
These findings highlight vulnerable subgroups of students who might benefit from regular monitoring, education, and interventions to support their cognitive health during the pandemic and beyond. In addition, cognitive concerns may provide additional insight into mental health problems among students, and emphasize the importance of understanding factors that impact students' long-term academic and career success.
冠状病毒病（COVID-19）对医疗系统、经济、就业、教育、旅行和社会生活产生了前所未有的全球影响。除了心理健康挑战增加外，疫情限制还引发了新出现的认知问题。大学生尤其容易受到与封锁相关的不利影响，然而，尽管COVID-19使得学习需要做出大量调整，但迄今为止，针对大学生中该疫情认知后果的研究仍然有限。本研究旨在全面调查2020年12月在澳大利亚莫纳什大学就读的972名学生（中位年龄 = 22岁，70%为女性）主观认知问题的性质、患病率及其相关因素。
在墨尔本长期封锁5周后，学生们完成了在线的“莫纳什茁壮成长”调查。通过组间比较和分层二元逻辑回归分析，我们研究了人口统计学和入学特征、与COVID-19相关的经历和影响（作者编制的问题）、自我报告的焦虑和抑郁症状（PROMIS焦虑和抑郁量表），以及学生对日常认知功能的感知变化（作者编制的问题）之间的关联。
超过60%的学生报告了主观认知问题（SCCs）。在控制了焦虑和抑郁症状后，报告更多SCCs的学生更有可能年龄较小、来自白人/欧洲族裔背景且处于本科学习的第一年。男女学生在SCCs方面未发现差异。在控制了焦虑和抑郁症状后，与COVID-19相关的更大担忧、焦虑或压力（例如，感染、出门、卫生和接触预防、对身心健康的影响）以及阅读或谈论COVID-19的时间，通常与SCCs无关。
这些发现凸显了学生中的脆弱亚组，他们可能受益于在疫情期间及之后进行定期监测、教育和干预，以支持他们的认知健康。此外，认知问题可能为学生的心理健康问题提供更多见解，并强调了解影响学生长期学业和职业成功的因素的重要性。
