EFFECTS OF THE LOCKDOWN ON PERCEIVED STRESS AND WELL-BEING: A STUDY ON Italian UNIVERSITY IN THE FIRST PERIOD OF ISOLATION DUE TO COVID-19

This study investigated the effect of the isolation during the lockdown period on psychological distress and well-being in a sample of professors (N=150), students (N=150) and technical administrative staff (N=150) from 3 Italian Universities, in the region of Tuscany. We administered a self-reported online questionnaire to collect socio-demographic information, investigate issues in work and study life, and assess the level of perceived stress and psychological well-being. The results of this study indicate that under conditions of isolation perceived stress levels are increased, and this is related to the experience of an unpleasant house environment. This is also significantly predicted by the occurrence of issues with online lectures and administrative activities for university professors or by having issues with managerial support for technical administrative staff. On the other hand, for university students, a good relationship with other students is of great importance to maintain a high level of mental well-being and being male is a protective factor. Evidently, aspects related to the deprivation of opportunities for peer relationships are experienced as particularly problematic. © 2021 Virtual Simulation Innovation Workshop, SIW 2021. All rights reserved.

Social Distancing, Stress and Unethical Behavior: A Study on Italian University Students in the First Period of Isolation Due to COVID-19

Some studies report high levels of perceived stress by university students in relation to academic misconduct [1]. Therefore, it seemed interesting to evaluate how and to what extent the social containment measures that have been put in place to mitigate the Covid-19 pandemic can influence the relationship between stress and ethical/unethical behaviors in the population of university students. 282 students from 3 Universities in Italy, filled in an online questionnaire aimed at detecting socio-demographic information, the level of perceived stress, the degree of interference between home life and study activities, the perception of unethical behavior. Results show a high level of stress and more serious issues with relationships with other students. In addition, problems in obtaining adequate online informational support appear to increase perceptions of misconduct during exams and in relationships with professors. © 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.