Magorokosho Natasja Kudzai, Heraclides Alexandros, Papaleontiou-Louca Eleonora, Prodromou Maria
School of Sciences, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
School of Humanities, Social & Education Science, European University Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus.
Front Public Health. 2025 Sep 1;13:1638427. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1638427. eCollection 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected higher education globally. While the immediate psychological effects of the pandemic are well-documented, the long-term impacts on mental health and the potential moderating role of resilience among this population, remain understudied.
This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the complex interplay between the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, resilience, and the multifaceted mental health outcomes experienced by university students in the Republic of Cyprus during the post-pandemic era. Participants were from the 4 major districts (Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Paphos) and data was collected between April-July 2024. Three validated scales were used to assess the overall impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (Covid Impact Scale; CIS), mental health symptoms (Symptom Checklist 90-Revised; SCL-90-R), and resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale; CDRISC), among a sample of 1,017 students. Linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the associations among COVID-19 impact, resilience and mental health.
Higher COVID-19 Impact was associated with poorer mental health ( = 2.54, < 0.001). Higher resilience was associated with lower COVID-19 Impact ( = -0.08, < 0.001). Moderation analysis revealed that among students with high resilience, COVID-19 Impact was more strongly associated with worse mental health ( = 3.09, < 0.001) compared to students with low resilience ( = 1.52, < 0.001). Resilience was significantly associated with mental health ( = -0.31, < 0.001).
The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant and persistent negative impact on the mental health of Cypriot university students, even after the end of the pandemic, which was profound even among students with high resilience. Further research is needed to better understand the long-term implications of major health crises and to identify effective interventions to promote resilience and mental well-being.
新冠疫情对全球高等教育产生了深远影响。虽然疫情的直接心理影响已有充分记录，但对这一人群心理健康的长期影响以及复原力的潜在调节作用仍未得到充分研究。
这项横断面研究旨在探讨新冠疫情的影响、复原力与塞浦路斯共和国大学生在疫情后时代所经历的多方面心理健康结果之间的复杂相互作用。参与者来自4个主要地区（尼科西亚、利马索尔、拉纳卡、帕福斯），数据于2024年4月至7月收集。使用三个经过验证的量表来评估新冠疫情的总体影响（新冠影响量表；CIS）、心理健康症状（症状自评量表90修订版；SCL - 90 - R）和复原力（康纳 - 戴维森复原力量表；CDRISC），样本为1017名学生。进行线性回归分析以确定新冠疫情影响、复原力和心理健康之间的关联。
更高的新冠疫情影响与更差的心理健康相关（β = 2.54，p < 0.001）。更高的复原力与更低的新冠疫情影响相关（β = -0.08，p < 0.001）。调节分析显示，在高复原力的学生中，与低复原力的学生相比（β = 1.52，p < 0.001），新冠疫情影响与更差的心理健康的关联更强（β = 3.09，p < 0.001）。复原力与心理健康显著相关（β = -0.31，p < 0.001）。
新冠疫情对塞浦路斯大学生的心理健康产生了重大且持续的负面影响，即使在疫情结束后也是如此，这种影响在高复原力的学生中也很深刻。需要进一步研究以更好地理解重大健康危机的长期影响，并确定促进复原力和心理健康的有效干预措施。
