Department of Psychology, Educational Sciences and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Mar 24;20(7):5255. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20075255.
The switching from traditional to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic was challenging for students, determining an increase in physical and mental health problems. The current paper applied a two-step cluster analysis in a large sample of = 1028 university students (Mage = 21.10 years, SD = 2.45 years; range: 18-30 years; 78.4% females). Participants responded to an online survey exploring neuroticism, trait/state anxiety, general self-efficacy, academic motivation, fear of COVID-19, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on physical and mental health, and the help requests. Results showed two significant clusters of students having a Maladaptive Academic Profile ( = 456; 44.4%) or an Adaptive Academic Profile ( = 572; 55.6%). Significant differences were found between the two clusters, where students belonging to the Maladaptive Academic Profile reported higher levels of neuroticism, higher dispositional and situational anxiety, and fear of COVID-19, and lower self-efficacy and academic motivation than students of the Adaptive Academic Profile cluster. In addition, more physical or mental health problems and help requests, mainly to partners during the COVID-19 pandemic, were found in the Maladaptive Academic Profile cluster compared to the Adaptive Academic Profile. Finally, the practical implications of the study's results in implementing university counseling services as protective measures to contrast psychological distress in the long-term COVID-19 pandemic are discussed.
在 COVID-19 大流行期间，从传统学习向在线学习的转变对学生来说具有挑战性，导致身心健康问题增加。本研究采用两步聚类分析方法，对 1028 名大学生（Mage = 21.10 岁，SD = 2.45 岁；年龄范围：18-30 岁；78.4%为女性）进行了大规模样本分析。参与者通过在线调查回答了关于神经质、特质/状态焦虑、一般自我效能感、学术动机、对 COVID-19 的恐惧、COVID-19 大流行对身心健康的影响以及帮助请求的问题。结果显示，有两个显著的学生聚类群体，具有适应性学术特征（n = 572；55.6%）或非适应性学术特征（n = 456；44.4%）。两个聚类群体之间存在显著差异，具有非适应性学术特征的学生报告了更高的神经质水平、更高的特质焦虑和状态焦虑、对 COVID-19 的恐惧，以及更低的自我效能感和学术动机，而具有适应性学术特征的学生则报告了更低的神经质水平、更高的特质焦虑和状态焦虑、对 COVID-19 的恐惧，以及更低的自我效能感和学术动机。此外，与适应性学术特征聚类群体相比，非适应性学术特征聚类群体在 COVID-19 大流行期间报告了更多的身体或心理健康问题和帮助请求，主要是向伴侣寻求帮助。最后，讨论了该研究结果对实施大学咨询服务的实际意义，以作为长期 COVID-19 大流行中对抗心理困扰的保护措施。
