Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F.; Vallone, F.; Zurlo, M.C. COVID-19-Related Stressors and Psychophysical Health Conditions among Italian University Students: A Post Pandemic Insight. Healthcare2024, 12, 752.
Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F.; Vallone, F.; Zurlo, M.C. COVID-19-Related Stressors and Psychophysical Health Conditions among Italian University Students: A Post Pandemic Insight. Healthcare 2024, 12, 752.
Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F.; Vallone, F.; Zurlo, M.C. COVID-19-Related Stressors and Psychophysical Health Conditions among Italian University Students: A Post Pandemic Insight. Healthcare2024, 12, 752.
Cattaneo Della Volta, M.F.; Vallone, F.; Zurlo, M.C. COVID-19-Related Stressors and Psychophysical Health Conditions among Italian University Students: A Post Pandemic Insight. Healthcare 2024, 12, 752.
Abstract
The COVID-19-medical emergency has ended worldwide, yet there is still a need to evaluate the psychological impact of these years of unprecedented changes on students’ life. Methods: This study aims to assess and compare COVID-19-related stressors (Relationships-and-Academic-Life; Isolation; Fear-of-Contagion) and psychophysical symptoms reported by university students in April-2020, April 2021, and April 2022. The predictive role of COVID-19-related stressors on psychophysical symptoms within each time was also tested. Data were collected among 637 university students in April-2020 (n = 197), April-2021 (n = 200), April-2022 (n = 240). Results: In April-2022, perceived Isolation and Fear-of-Contagion decreased from the peak registered in April-2021, but stress related to Relationships-and-Academic-Life remained noteworthy high. A sharp and ongoing increase in psychophysical symptoms was found, with more than 50% of students reporting clinical levels of Sleep-Disorders, Depression, Psychoticism, and Interpersonal-Sensitivity. In April-2022, students still perceiving stress related to Relationships-and-Academic-Life and Isolation were at risk for Anxiety, Somatization, and Sleep-Disorders, while those still perceiving stress related to Fear-of-Contagion were also at risk for Depression, Obsessive-Compulsive, and Psychoticism. Conclusion: Findings emphasized the long-lasting detrimental effects of the COVID-19-related stress. Interventions must pinpoint the complex post-pandemic adjustment process and their effects on university students' psychophysical health.
Keywords
COVID-19 pandemic; University Students; Post-pandemic Mental Disorders; Covid-19 Related Stressors; Psychophysical Health Outcomes; Repeated Cross-Sectional Study
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
