ABSTRACT
Graduate and undergraduate students experience extreme stress, anxiety, and imposter syndrome during their tenure and struggle to cope with the demands of academia. The strain and pressure have only intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive stress increases the risk of medical and mental health concerns, such as anxiety and depression, which influences academic performance. This paper highlights the importance of mental health via quantitative analysis of graduate and undergraduate students from various STEM majors, focusing on space sciences and engineering, and emphasizes the need to prioritize mental health. The study used an online survey, which employed the DASS-21 scale to assess the severity of perceived depression, anxiety, and stress levels of students in the space sector. A self-developed questionnaire by the researchers was used to check the causes for it and get feedback on the effectiveness of present mental health support systems provided by educational institutions, and the data were analyzed through SPSS software. The final sample consisted of 224 undergraduate and graduate-level students of the space sector - studying space sciences, space engineering, or another science or engineering degree with a project, internship, or work related to the space sector. Students from various parts of the world, such as the USA, India, UK, France, Germany, Mexico, Russia, etc. participated in this study. The results of this study indicated that out of the 224 participants, 25.4% showed severe to extremely severe signs of stress, 31.3% showed severe to extremely severe signs of anxiety and 34.9% showed severe to extremely severe signs of depression. The top 3 concerns for stress were reported as academics, the ongoing pandemic, and jobs and about 46% of the participants rated their university's mental health-related support facilities as poor to very poor. There was a non-significant difference found in the stress, anxiety, and depression levels of students with different gender identities and different geographical locations. The results of this research highlight the importance of mental health & stress management classes for students and suggest that a regular evaluation of students' mental health to monitor their well-being is very crucial to help them cope up with stress and anxiety. This research stresses the need for better facilities for mental well-being by educational institutions. Copyright © 2021 by the International Astronautical Federation (IAF). All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND & AIMS: The Remote Malnutrition Application (R-MAPP) was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support for health care professionals (HCPs) working in the community to complete remote nutritional assessments, and provide practical guidance for nutritional care. The aim of this study was to modify the R-MAPP into a version suitable for children, Pediatric Remote Malnutrition Application (Pedi-R-MAPP), and provide a structured approach to completing a nutrition focused assessment as part of a technology enabled care service (TECS) consultation. METHODS: A ten-step process was completed: 1) permission to modify adult R-MAPP, 2) literature search to inform the Pedi-R-MAPP content, 3) Pedi-R-MAPP draft, 4) international survey of HCP practice using TECS, 5) nutrition experts invited to participate in a modified Delphi process, 6) first stakeholder meeting to agree purpose/draft of the tool, 7) round-one online survey, 8) statements with consensus removed from survey, 9) round-two online survey for statements with no consensus and 10) second stakeholder meeting with finalisation of the Pedi-R-MAPP nutrition awareness tool. RESULTS: The international survey completed by 463 HCPs, 55% paediatricians, 38% dietitians, 7% nurses/others. When HCPs were asked to look back over the last 12 months, dietitians (n = 110) reported that 5.7 ± 10.6 out of every 10 appointments were completed in person; compared to paediatricians (n = 182) who reported 7.5 ± 7.0 out of every 10 appointments to be in person (p < 0.0001), with the remainder completed as TECS consultations. Overall, 74 articles were identified and used to develop the Pedi-R-MAPP which included colour-coded advice using a traffic light system; green, amber, red and purple. Eighteen participants agreed to participate in the Delphi consensus and completed both rounds of the modified Delphi survey. Agreement was reached at the first meeting on the purpose and draft sections of the proposed tool. In round-one of the online survey, 86% (n = 89/104) of statements reached consensus, whereas in round-two 12.5% (n = 13/104) of statements reached no consensus. At the second expert meeting, contested statements were discussed until agreement was reached and the Pedi-R-MAPP could be finalised. CONCLUSION: The Pedi-R-MAPP nutrition awareness tool was developed using a modified Delphi consensus. This tool aims to support the technological transformation fast-tracked by the COVID-19 pandemic by providing a structured approach to completing a remote nutrition focused assessment, as well as identifying the frequency of follow up along with those children who may require in-person assessment.