Changes to student mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic

Background: Although many anecdotal reports and a handful of studies on Asian and European students suggest pandemic-related degradation in student mental health, research on UK undergraduates is lacking. Aim: Our aim was to redress this short fall by assessing how university student mental health in the UK in Autumn 2020 (during the pandemic) compared to previous years. Sample: 762 UK undergraduate students participated in the study. Methods: A well-validated, self-report, 21-item scale, the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21) was used to assess mental health. Results were compared to data obtained using the same scale on similar, albeit smaller cohorts in each of the previous three years. Results: Autumn 2020 students reported greater levels of depression and anxiety than their peers from previous years. Stress was high but remained unchanged compared to previous years. Conclusion: Compared to previous years, UK students show elevated symptoms of mental health problems, underscoring the importance of mental health-oriented support for students. This research was supported by a studentship from The Leverhulme Trust (Forest Edge Project). notReviewed other