Hunsmann Joanna J, Weck Florian, Wendt Julia, Kühne Franziska
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Department of Emotion- and Biopsychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
Clin Psychol Eur. 2025 May 28;7(2):e14365. doi: 10.32872/cpe.14365. eCollection 2025 May.
Characterized by uncertainty and recurring periods of social isolation, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in increases of loneliness and distress in young adults, such as university students. Despite the lifting of the last restrictions in Germany in April 2023, the state of mental health in vulnerable groups after the three-year global crisis remains to be investigated. Therefore, we aimed to assess university students' mental health after the pandemic.
Between April and July 2023, = 886 university students throughout Germany participated in a fully anonymous cross-sectional online survey. Psychological distress (BSI; Brief Symptom Inventory), loneliness (LS-SOEP; Loneliness Scale), and emotion regulation strategies (ERQ; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire) were assessed by standardized questionnaires, and mental health was compared to a survey of students in April 2020 ( = 1,062).
Unexpectedly, we found higher levels of distress in 2023 than in 2020. Overall, = 41% of variance in psychological distress was accounted for in a multiple linear regression, with loneliness emerging as the most important predictor. Additionally, emotion regulation, gender identity, and health behaviors such as keeping daily routines, sufficient sleep, and regular exercise were significant predictors. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) revealed that students with past or present mental health conditions were significantly lonelier than those without.
These findings highlight the ongoing mental health challenges of university students in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying non-binary and female students, as well as students with current or past mental health conditions as particularly lonely and distressed.
新冠疫情具有不确定性且反复出现社交隔离期，导致年轻人（如大学生）的孤独感和痛苦感增加。尽管德国于2023年4月解除了最后的限制措施，但在这场持续三年的全球危机之后，弱势群体的心理健康状况仍有待调查。因此，我们旨在评估疫情后大学生的心理健康状况。
2023年4月至7月期间，德国各地的886名大学生参与了一项完全匿名的横断面在线调查。通过标准化问卷评估心理困扰（简明症状量表）、孤独感（孤独量表）和情绪调节策略（情绪调节问卷），并将心理健康状况与2020年4月对学生的一项调查（n = 1062）进行比较。
出乎意料的是，我们发现2023年的困扰水平高于2020年。总体而言，在多元线性回归中，心理困扰41%的方差可由孤独感解释，孤独感是最重要的预测因素。此外，情绪调节、性别认同以及保持日常作息、充足睡眠和定期锻炼等健康行为也是显著的预测因素。方差分析显示，有过或目前存在心理健康问题的学生比没有这些问题的学生明显更孤独。
这些发现凸显了新冠疫情后大学生持续面临心理健康挑战，确定了非二元性别和女性学生，以及目前或曾经有心理健康问题的学生尤其孤独和痛苦。
