Study Conditions and University Students’ Mental Health during the Pandemic: Results of the COVID-19 German Student Well-Being Study (C19 GSWS)

Eileen Heumann, Jannis Trümmler, Christiane Stock (), Stefanie M. Helmer, Heide Busse, Sarah Negash and Claudia R. Pischke
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Eileen Heumann: Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Jannis Trümmler: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany
Christiane Stock: Institute of Health and Nursing Science, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany
Stefanie M. Helmer: Institute for Public Health and Nursing Research, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Heide Busse: Department Prevention and Evaluation, Leibniz Institute for Prevention Research and Epidemiology—BIPS, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Sarah Negash: Institute for Medical Epidemiology, Biometrics and Informatics, Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences, Medical School of the Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, 06112 Halle (Saale), Germany
Claudia R. Pischke: Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine-University Duesseldorf, 40225 Duesseldorf, Germany

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 7, 1-15

Abstract: University students are generally vulnerable to mental health problems. This was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic, when students experienced decisive changes and restrictions in their academic lives. Our study aimed at (a) analysing associations between study conditions and symptoms of depression and anxiety and (b) determining the extent of use and motivation to use student counselling services. The C19 GSWS is a cross-sectional study conducted at five universities in Germany ( N = 7203). Descriptive analyses and linear regression models were performed to estimate the associations between study conditions and mental health outcomes. A total of 42.4% of the students felt down, depressed, or hopeless on several days over the past 14 days. Between a third and 44.1% of the students felt burdened by their study conditions. Worse perceived study conditions were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms and anxiety. Only 7.1% indicated that they had utilised student counselling services, and female gender, enrolment in a bachelor’s programme, and having more than 1 reason for utilisation were factors associated with use. The results of our research underline the need for universities to review their study conditions and to provide targeted intervention strategies and counselling services to promote students’ mental well-being.

Keywords: university students; depressive symptoms; anxiety; mental health; study conditions; COVID-19 pandemic; counselling services (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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