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MENTAL HEALTH AND WAYS OF COPING DURING THE TIME OF COVID-19 OUTBREAK
Corresponding Author(s) : Syeda Razia Bukhari
Humanities & Social Sciences Reviews,
Vol. 9 No. 1 (2021): January
Abstract
Objectives: The study was conducted to find out the relationship between mental health and ways of coping of university students during the outbreak of COVID-19.
Methodology: The study design was cross-sectional and the data was analyzed using correlation method. Data for the study was collected via online Google Forms. The online questionnaire was based on two scales, the Mental Health Inventory in which the mental health characteristics were anxiety, depression, behavior control, positive affect, and the ways of coping (revised) scale.
Findings: The sample size of this study consisted of 400 university students of which 206were male and 194 were female. The outcomes of this study showed that during the outbreak of COVID-19, a significant relationship was found between mental health and ways of coping in university students. The relationship of overall mental health scores with Painful problem-solving, seeking social support, and Positive reappraisal was significant but no significant relationship was found with other subscales of ways of coping.
Applications of the study: From the student viewpoint, universities should be aware of the students' changing emotional responses from positive to negative during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the impact of COVID-19 would probably induce more negative emotional states, universities should offer more support for emotional management and coping. This should encourage students to talk about their concerns, worries, and anxiety toward COVID-19 and to help them de stigmatize the fear of COVID-19 on their studies and future. This support should not be a one-time-event, but ongoing. With positive emotions and coping, students are more capable to counterbalance the perceived negative impact of COVID-19 on their degree completion and job prospects by effectively using different resources to reduce resource loss.
Novelty/Originality of the study: It is necessary for university institutions to focus their efforts on quality attention to students, in order to establish fluid communication with them and to adapt to their better well-being with good way of coping and fulfill their academic and personal needs.
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- Al-Rabiaah, A., Temsah, M. H., Al-Eyadhy, A. A., Hasan, G. M., Al-Zamil, F., Al-Subaie, S., Alsohime, F., Jamal, A., Alhaboob, A., Al-Saadi, B., & Somily, A. M. (2020). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) associated stress among medical students at a university teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. Journal of infection and public health, 13(5), 687–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.01.005
- Cantor, N. (1994). Life task problem solving: situational affordances and personal needs. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20(3), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167294203001
- Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., &Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research-neuroimaging, 287, 112934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
- Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., &Gruen, R. J. (1986). Dynamics of a stressful encounter: cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of personality and social psychology, 50(5), 992–1003. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.50.5.992
- GoodTherapy | Coping Mechanisms. (n.d.). https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/coping-mechanisms
- Khan, M., Adil, S. F., Alkhathlan, H. Z., Tahir, M. N., Saif, S., Khan, M., & Khan, S. T. (2020). COVID-19: A Global Challenge with Old History, Epidemiology and Progress So Far. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010039
- Mahmood, Z., Saleem, S., Subhan, S., &Jabeen, A. (2021). Psychosocial Reactions of Pakistani Students Towards COVID-19: A Prevalence Study. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 37(2), 456–460. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3063
- Martin Downs, M.(2005). What Is a Pandemic?. (2023). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/what-is-pandemic
- Mishra P, Pandey MP, Singh U, Sharma V, Yadav SS, Kar R. (2017). Sample size estimation for clinical research studies using mean and proportion.6 (5), 87-79.
- Nurunnabi, M., et al. (2020). Coping strategies of students for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a cross-sectional study. F1000Research, 9, 1115. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.25557.1
- Salman, M., et al. (2022). Psychological Impairment and Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 16(3), 920–926. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2020.397
- Veit, C. T., & Ware, J. E., Jr (1983). The structure of psychological distress and well-being in general populations. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 51(5), 730–742. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.51.5.730
- Wang, H., et al. (2020). The psychological distress and coping styles in the early stages of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in the general mainland Chinese population: A web-based survey. PloS one, 15(5), e0233410. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233410
- Wang, C., et al. (2020). Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729
- Weekly operational update on COVID-19 - 15 May 2020. (2023). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-update-on-covid-19---15-may-2020
- WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020. (2020). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020
- Yao, H., Chen, J. H., &Xu, Y. F. (2020). Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic. The lancet. Psychiatry, 7(4), e21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30090-0
References
Al-Rabiaah, A., Temsah, M. H., Al-Eyadhy, A. A., Hasan, G. M., Al-Zamil, F., Al-Subaie, S., Alsohime, F., Jamal, A., Alhaboob, A., Al-Saadi, B., & Somily, A. M. (2020). Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Corona Virus (MERS-CoV) associated stress among medical students at a university teaching hospital in Saudi Arabia. Journal of infection and public health, 13(5), 687–691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jiph.2020.01.005
Cantor, N. (1994). Life task problem solving: situational affordances and personal needs. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20(3), 235–243. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167294203001
Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., &Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research-neuroimaging, 287, 112934. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2020.112934
Folkman, S., Lazarus, R. S., Dunkel-Schetter, C., DeLongis, A., &Gruen, R. J. (1986). Dynamics of a stressful encounter: cognitive appraisal, coping, and encounter outcomes. Journal of personality and social psychology, 50(5), 992–1003. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-3514.50.5.992
GoodTherapy | Coping Mechanisms. (n.d.). https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/psychpedia/coping-mechanisms
Khan, M., Adil, S. F., Alkhathlan, H. Z., Tahir, M. N., Saif, S., Khan, M., & Khan, S. T. (2020). COVID-19: A Global Challenge with Old History, Epidemiology and Progress So Far. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 26(1), 39. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26010039
Mahmood, Z., Saleem, S., Subhan, S., &Jabeen, A. (2021). Psychosocial Reactions of Pakistani Students Towards COVID-19: A Prevalence Study. Pakistan journal of medical sciences, 37(2), 456–460. https://doi.org/10.12669/pjms.37.2.3063
Martin Downs, M.(2005). What Is a Pandemic?. (2023). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/what-is-pandemic
Mishra P, Pandey MP, Singh U, Sharma V, Yadav SS, Kar R. (2017). Sample size estimation for clinical research studies using mean and proportion.6 (5), 87-79.
Nurunnabi, M., et al. (2020). Coping strategies of students for anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in China: a cross-sectional study. F1000Research, 9, 1115. https://doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.25557.1
Salman, M., et al. (2022). Psychological Impairment and Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic Among Students in Pakistan: A Cross-Sectional Analysis. Disaster medicine and public health preparedness, 16(3), 920–926. https://doi.org/10.1017/dmp.2020.397
Veit, C. T., & Ware, J. E., Jr (1983). The structure of psychological distress and well-being in general populations. Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 51(5), 730–742. https://doi.org/10.1037//0022-006x.51.5.730
Wang, H., et al. (2020). The psychological distress and coping styles in the early stages of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic in the general mainland Chinese population: A web-based survey. PloS one, 15(5), e0233410. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0233410
Wang, C., et al. (2020). Immediate Psychological Responses and Associated Factors during the Initial Stage of the 2019 Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Epidemic among the General Population in China. International journal of environmental research and public health, 17(5), 1729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17051729
Weekly operational update on COVID-19 - 15 May 2020. (2023). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.who.int/publications/m/item/weekly-update-on-covid-19---15-may-2020
WHO Director-General's opening remarks at the media briefing on COVID-19 - 11 March 2020. (2020). Retrieved 8 September 2023, from https://www.who.int/director-general/speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-at-the-media-briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020
Yao, H., Chen, J. H., &Xu, Y. F. (2020). Patients with mental health disorders in the COVID-19 epidemic. The lancet. Psychiatry, 7(4), e21. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(20)30090-0