In: Nursing
The influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the quality of life among undergraduate college students. (physically, mentally, and psychologically during the pandemic).
- Provided a background to the chosen issue/problem supported by up to date references (not older than 2015) and included reputable resources that support the importance of the problem.
The influence of COVID-19 Pandemic on the quality of life among undergraduate college students. (Physically, mentally, and psychologically during the pandemic).
The COVID-19 pandemic has been a period of a violent and sudden change for undergraduate college students. There is a drastic change in the quality of life on the basis of physical, mental, and psychological parameters. We could see the physical changes as people are suffering from the disease, psychological parameters include the changes in the behavior and everyday difficulties. Moreover, it has affected the mental health of the students in form of depression, anxiety, stress, and somatization.
Background:
The coronavirus pandemic has spread rapidly across the globe, causing massive disruption to everyday life. The pandemic has potentially affected the college students physically, mentally, academically, financially, and psychologically. Many colleges reported that a number of students have tested positive for COVID-19. In order to prevent the spread transmission of the coronavirus among the staff and the students, higher-education institutions across the country have switched to online learning from in-person learning.
Researches indicate that the students have a fundamental knowledge of COVID-19 transmission and common symptoms. Students trust the official sources and have changed their behavior in accordance with public health recommendations. The use of hand washing and sanitizing at small intervals was introduced, followed by the compulsory wearing of a mask. The students have to face everyday difficulties and high levels of mental health stress. Depression and anxiety were associated with difficulties in focusing on academic work. Further lack of focus on academic work and moreover concern with COVID-19 findings and information, led to a high level of somatization.
The quality of life physically affected as in a short period of time, the college students have to leave the campus and adjust themselves to new living circumstances. The students were unaware of these pandemic situations in the initial stage and were not completely aware of the whole scenario of COVID-19. This leads to difficulties in obtaining medication knowledge and cleaning supplies.
College student's mental health has been a rising concern as mental health issues can significantly impair students’ academic success and social interactions affecting their career and opportunities. The social distancing measures imposed across the countries further affected the mental health of college students.
The psychological impact of this pandemic situation was revealed when the students kept themselves in social isolation. This increased the stress, anxiety, and depression among the students. The students had a negative psychological impact as the sense of security was not reliable. Further, misinformation and disinformation spread through online sources and social media contributed to more stress and depression among the students.
The COVID-19 pandemic marks a significant negative impact on the college students both physically, mentally, and psychologically. Proactive efforts to support the quality of life of undergraduate college students are needed.
Resources: Kecojevic A, Basch CH, Sullivan M (2020)
Data References: Statistical analysis were conducted using Statistical Package, Descriptive analysis was done to examine all the variables. Self-report questionnaire with strong reliability and validity was used to assess the general quality of life affected in this pandemic situation.