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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Worldwide, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disruptive effect on daily routines,
especially for university students. This study aimed to compare pre-pandemic domains of students’
mental health during the pandemic lockdown. One cross-sectional study was conducted in two
waves with academic students from 20 Portuguese universities, in March 2020 before the COVID19 pandemic (n = 3579) and 2 months after the first lockdown in May 2020 (n = 1228). The
Positive Mental Health Questionnaire (PMHQ), the Mental Health Knowledge Questionnaire, the
Mental Health-promoting knowledge, and the Psychological Vulnerability Scale were used.
Statistical analyses were performed by bivariate associations and multiple linear regression models.
Students were mostly women (79%), with an average age of 23.2 years (SD = 6.6), displaced from
their family environment (43%), out-of-home (43%), and scholarship holders (37%). Higher scores
found in the PVS were associated with decreased PMHQ in both moments (P < 0.01). These crosssectional studies showed a slight variation in the mental health variables studied in the period
before and during the COVID-19 outbreak. Being a woman, younger, out-of-home, and having a
scholarship (P < 0.01) seem to increase susceptibility to mental health variation before and during
the pandemic. Universities should develop strategies that promote students’ mental health.
Description
Keywords
COVID-19 Literacy Positive mental health University students
Citation
Sequeira, C., Araújo, O., Lourenço, T., Freitas, O., Carvalho, J.C. and Costa, P. (2022), The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of Portuguese university students. Int J Mental Health Nurs, 31: 920-932.
Publisher
John Wiley & Sons, Ltd