ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The COVID-19 pandemic has required important changes in the lifestyles and quality of life of higher education students, generating emotional distress. This study sought to evaluate a predictive model of emotional distress and positive mental health through measures of posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) and posttraumatic growth (PTG) in Chilean higher education students during the pandemic. METHOD: To this end, 502 students (67.8% female), aged 18-44 years, were surveyed at two time points during the pandemic, separated by 6 months. Potential predictors included emotional regulation strategies, perceived social support, sociodemographic characteristics, factors related to the pandemic, and students' experiences related to online classes. RESULTS: Findings indicated that PTSS levels were generally stable across the two time points, but PTG levels increased. In addition, emotional regulation strategies (suppression, cognitive reappraisal), perceived social support, and female gender predicted both PTSS and PTG 6 months later; students' number of hours of screen time for school also influenced PTG. CONCLUSIONS: Findings enhance understanding of the processes contributing to PTSS and PTG in higher education students. The need to improve quality of life and mental health in higher education students, including individual- and institutional-level strategies, is discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented global crisis, with dramatic changes in people's living conditions and mental health. The aim of this study is to establish predictors of depression, anxiety and stress in people affected by the epidemiological outbreak of COVID-19. Participants comprised 2,376 individuals over 18 years old, 79.6% women, who answered the Scale of Depression, Anxiety and Stress (DASS-21), in addition to scales to assess subjective severity, the search for social support and data related to COVID-19. It was observed that their main predictors were younger age, sleep problems, feeling lonely, not talking about their fears and subjective severity. The conclusion is that there are population groups at risk of experiencing higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress, which evidences the need to develop prevention and intervention strategies to reduce the psychological impact of the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved) Abstract (Spanish) La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado una crisis mundial sin precedentes, con cambios drasticos en las condiciones de vida y en la salud mental de las personas. El proposito de este estudio es establecer predictores de depresion, ansiedad y estres en personas afectadas por el brote epidemiologico de COVID-19. Participaron 2,376 personas mayores de 18 anos, un 79.6% mujeres, quienes contestaron la Escala de Depresion, Ansiedad y Estres (DASS-21), ademas de escalas para evaluar la severidad subjetiva, la busqueda de apoyo social y datos relacionados con COVID-19. Se observo que sus principales predictores fueron tener menor edad, problemas para dormir, sentirse solo, no hablar de sus temores y la severidad subjetiva. Se concluye que existen grupos de poblacion en riesgo de experimentar niveles mas altos de depresion, ansiedad y estres, lo que evidencia la necesidad de desarrollar estrategias de prevencion e intervencion para reducir el impacto psicologico de la pandemia. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved)