ABSTRACT
Background: Studying anxiety, stress, and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic is crucial to mitigate the negative effects associated with infection risk and disease consequences. Objective: This study aimed to investigate anxiety levels, stress perception, and coping strategies in relation to the presence of illness. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted anonymously among 3950 university students from Poland (1822), Lithuania (232), and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad (1896). Due to the nearly identical application of anti-epidemic measures, the respondents were treated as a unified group. The State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS-10), and mini-COPE scale questionnaires were used. Statistical analysis included the Shapiro-Wilk test to check normality, the Mann-Whitney U test for comparative analysis between groups, the Pearson χ2 test for categorical data, and Spearman coefficients for correlations between variables. Results: A significant proportion of young adults in the community exhibited symptoms of anxiety and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the 1212 men and 2738 women surveyed, 348 (28.7%) and 1020 (37.3%) individuals, respectively, were diagnosed with COVID-19 according to clinical protocols. Prolonged disease duration and more severe residual symptoms correlated with higher self-reported anxiety levels. Conclusions: The level of anxiety and stress varied depending on the duration of the disease, significantly impacting the choice of coping strategies. Overall, students displayed a proactive approach to coping activities but tended to postpone important decisions. Seeking social support was a prevalent coping mechanism, although respondents who had COVID-19 showed higher levels of concern for their own emotions, a tendency to discharge emotions through alcohol or other substances (male), and a greater reliance on religion (female). The study provides data that may be useful in developing educational and health policies focused on the mental well-being of university students and potentially other social groups.
ABSTRACT
The aim of the study was to compare the perception of stress and the characteristic coping-strategies among students in the context of the different anti-pandemic measures taken in Belarus, Poland, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. A cross-sectional online survey using standardized questionnaires (Perceived Stress Scale-PSS-10 and Brief-COPE-Mini-COPE inventory) was conducted among 3113 students of seven universities in three neighboring regions on both sides of the eastern border of the EU. The groups that are the most prone to stress are the Polish and Russians students. Among the students from Belarus, 122 (13.7%) have high levels of stress symptoms. Among the respondents from Poland-238 (19.4%), and 191 (19.2%) from Kaliningrad have high levels of stress, respectively. The different approaches of the authorities to the COVID-19 pandemic diversified the choice of students' stress coping strategies. The behavior of the students from Kaliningrad and Poland was similar. The Belarusian students used active coping strategies less often, while an avoidance-focused style, and denial were more frequent. The neglect of restrictive anti-pandemic measures by the Belarusian students was manifested by a higher incidence of disease and minimal use of vaccinations.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Adaptation, Psychological , COVID-19/epidemiology , Cross-Sectional Studies , Humans , Pandemics , Perception , StudentsABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Evaluation studies (evaluation) is an act of gathering, analyzing and assessing the data in order to supply knowledge necessary to take decisions about future actions. It is a process of systemic gathering of information on personnel, products as well as workings, characteristics and results of programmes. It is a systematized study, observation and interpretation of the data. The aim of the evaluation of Pro-health Programme implemented in State Higher Vocational School of Suwalki has been the assessment of students' attitudes and behaviours following the introduction of the programme. What we have been interested is whether the students got involved in the implementation of the programme and the manner in which activites conducted within the framework of the project have changed their lifestyle. These activities should be correlated with the students' participation in evaluation studies that make it possible to correct errors arising in the course of implementation of the pro-health programme and to diagnose problems as well as search for solutions adequately adjusted to the encountered ambiguities. MATERIAL AND THE METHODS: In the academic year 2013/2014 in prof. E. Szczepanik State Higher Vocational School of Suwalki an authorial survey reasearch on pro-health attitudes of students of selected medical fields of study. They were planned as long-standing activities (2013-2016) aimed at verification of students' pro-health attitudes in the researched higher education institute. As essential role of evaluation studies, forecasting long-term effects and intended or unintended outcomes that transcend the time and site of the implementation of the programme were the reasons for undertaking the studies described hereinbelow. RESULTS: Less than half of the researched students is of the opinion that the pro-health programme implemented in State Higher Vocational School fulfils its objectives. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of the respondents think that tasks implemented within the framework of the pro-health programme have had an influence on shaping their pro-health awareness. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Evaluation of pro-health awareness should lead to changes in pro-health attitudes of the surveyed population. 2. Both the experience gained during the health improving activities and the student evaluation questionnaire analysis should lead to strengthening the main motivating factors that promote health improving.
