Health Care Assignment: Psychological Impact of COVID-19 On Students
Question
Task:
Prepare a health care assignment analyzing the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on student’s mental health.
Answer
Introduction
The topic chosen for this research on health care assignment is "An analysis of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on student's mental health". The global outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic has hampered physical health and financial condition, along with causing psychological issues in the mental health of students. The main concern during the pandemic relates to the psychological health of exposed populations that includes college students. Due to the pandemic of Covid-19, the university, colleges, and schools have been temporarily closed, and this has resulted in a digitalized approach to education.
The reason behind choosing this topic is that the effects of Covid-19 have taken the world by storm, and students are facing sharp levels of mental distress along with downstream negative academic consequences (World Health Organization, 2020). Thus, it has become important to address the psychological distresses that are being faced by students due to the global coronavirus pandemic. Depression and anxiety have been tremendously increased among students due to the global pandemic of Covid-19, and there is a need to focus on various factors that can help in assessing the mental health of students. There has been an alarming increase in anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts among students due to the global pandemic of Covid-19, but the majority of the studies based on this topic does not include the assessment of the strategies that can be used by students that can help the students in terms of managing or coping up with the stress. Overall, the number of students looking for counseling and advice during the pandemic does not reflect the actual number of students being affected. The mental health of students has been massively impacted due to the various restrictions imposed by the government, and thus it has become essential to discuss and raise awareness regarding the impacts (Kecojevic et al., 2020).
The aim of this research article is to assess the mental health of students in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic that has not been documented efficiently. This research article will further survey the severity of anxiety and depression along with the mental health status of students during the Covid-19 pandemic. In addition to that, there will also be the identification of severity depression levels and symptoms of anxiety along with identification of various barriers that are experienced by students in terms of handling stress related to pandemics.
The aim of this research article will be achieved by conducting research surveys where one survey is an online cross-sectional survey that has been approved by Texas A&M University, and another is a sample-based study where a survey is conducted by YoungMinds. By highlighting the several factors that have contributed to the distress among students during the Covid-19 pandemic, the psychological impacts being faced by students can be efficiently understood, and thus the negative effects can be effectively reduced. In addition to that, the aim of this research will also be achieved by prioritizing the barriers to educational progress along with habitual strategies that help in coping up with the adverse psychosocial and academic outcomes. Therefore, it has become essential to come to terms with the persistent realities of the Covid-19 pandemic so that the vulnerable student population can be supported effectively.
Literature Survey
Overview of the key literature
Based on the global impact of Covid-19, various surveys have been conducted to understand the impact of the pandemic on the mental health of students. As per a survey that was designed in a semi-structured format consisting of free-text fields and multiple-choice questions, the main reason behind the increased level of stress among students is related to academics based on increased difficulty caused by transition and maintenance of online classes (Wang et al., 2020). In addition to that, the students as per this survey were also concerned about the grades along with delayed graduation. The survey has a healthy representation across classifications and genders, and a vast majority of 80.57%, indicated high levels of depression (Wang et al., 2020). Therefore, the majority of the participants reported an increase in their anxiety and stress levels caused by the pandemic. Since several universities have decided to continue with distance learning until the pandemic situation stabilizes, so the concerns surrounding the mental health of students can further increase (Pan et al., 2020). In addition to that, a vast majority of the students also expressed concerns about individual health and their loved ones’ health, along with reported changes in sleeping and eating habits.
In the other survey conducted by YoungMinds based on sample study, approximately 25% of the sample reported symptoms of anxiety that has been correlated positively with increased concerns regarding economic effects, academic delays, and influence on daily life (Grubic, Badovinac, and Johri, 2020). Based on the measures of physical distancing that have been implemented due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the tertiary institutions of education have shifted to the format of online learning that is further exacerbating academic stress in students. It has also been observed that students are experiencing reduced motivation towards studies based on the increased pressure of independent learning as a consequence of various restrictions measures. The pandemic of Covid-19 has put the burden of unprecedented mental health on students that are causing tremendous mental disturbances. Overall, one survey reported by YoungMinds reported 83% of students agreeing on the pandemic worsening their pre-existing mental health condition based on the closure of educational institutions, restricted social connections, and changes in routine (Grubic, Badovinac, and Johri, 2020). Therefore, new measures are required to establish student-centered support programs that can effectively establish support programs for mitigating the long-term implications associated with the mental health of the students.
The closely related areas in the mental health of students that need to be mentioned
With the Covid-19 pandemic having such a high impact on every aspect of student life, covering just the general areas in mental health is not sufficient as this field is very lengthy and complex. Coping up with educational learning procedures and social restrictions can have a massive impact on the mental health of students (Son et al., 2020). The lack of support in one area of mental health is worth mentioning as the students feel alone at home, and not having good support can cause severe depression. Isolation is one major factor associated with mental health, and this has been a common factor during the Covid-19 pandemic as those students who indulged in high-level social interaction faced the immense challenge of being isolated from social life (Pietrabassa and Simpson, 2020). The worry of health and loss of lives has instilled a fear in the minds of students that have become hard to overcome, as there is a level of uncertainty regarding the future prospects. With the delay and postponing of exams, the students become more anxious about their future, and this has led to rising anxiety and stress levels (Anderson, 2020).
Based on the various areas of mental health among students, the aspects of uncertainty is another area of concern that needs to be mentioned as with the rapid increase of infected cases; uncertainty is prevailing in the minds of students. In this critical situation, the concept of online learning needs to be strategically developed as there are several challenges associated with it (Almaiah, Al-Khasawneh, and Althunibat, 2020). There has been a substantial lack of support from universities that have led to a further increase in uncertainty as scheduling or postponing online classes requires tremendous planning. Overall, mental health support should be updated on the guidelines of educational institutions to ensure that all the concerned areas of mental health among students are effectively addressed (NIMHN, 2020). Lastly, lack of information and improper counseling services have contributed tremendously to the decreasing mental health condition of students by increasing levels of uncertainty and anxiety along with stress and depression.
Gaps in the Research
After an in-depth study and analysis, a few gaps in the research can be identified in both the paper. In the first paper by Wang et al. (2020), the research only used primary sources for data collection, such as surveys and open-ended questions. The research does not consider any secondary sources of information and data, such as articles and journals. Extracting information from journals and articles is essential for research because it gives insight into the prevailing condition. Secondly, the sample taken for the survey is huge, and the total number of participants was 2031. It is beneficial because a huge population can give more accurate results for the analysis. However, when researchers take a huge number of participants, getting the result is a time-consuming process. There are many mathematical formulas used to calculate the effects of COVID-19 on mental health. Many readers can find difficulties understanding the mathematical value because they don't have advanced knowledge of it. The research paper does not consider that the different academic courses have different mental demands from the students. The researchers do not consider these differences and compare all the students as the same. When it comes to students, the research only focuses on college students, which leaves a major population of students attending high schools. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the students of schools and colleges have been equally affected. Furthermore, their research lacks a comparison of stress levels before and after the pandemic.
In the second research by Grubic, Badovinac, and Johri (2020), the research gap found is the lack of a proper sampling number taken to conduct the research. Both the research segregates the level of anxiety experienced by the students. The segregation of anxiety levels is necessary for recommending appropriate recommendations for the management of anxiety. However, both the research only recommends that the institutions provide online classes to the students. Both the reports do not recommend any medical recommendation for anxiety management of the students. Both the research paper focuses only on academic and educational recommendation. While students need more than that to cope with their anxiety issues and provide classes alone, it will not solve the students' problem. Therefore, these are the gap that can be identified in both the research.
Recommendation for Filling of Gap in Research
After a thorough review of both the research, the first thing that can be recommended is that there should be the use of both primary and secondary sources for data collection. The researcher must take into account both the primary and secondary sources of data collection. This is because Writer (2020) states that the researcher can extract more information to explore the related topic. The researcher can make a more informed decision if they take information from both secondary and primary sources. Primary data are the information collected by the researchers through interviews and surveys. On the other hand, secondary data are the researchers' information through census reports, statistical data, and articles and journals.
The use of both the data collection sources also reduces the need for taking a huge sample size. Reduction of sample size is important because there are risks of errors associated with a large sample size. If researchers take a huge sample size, there can be systematic bias and a huge data loss. This can be seen in the case of the analyzed research, where 37 responses had to be excluded because there were values missing from their responses. There is a wastage of time and efforts on the researchers, and the finding is not as expected, and there are lots of variations. Another recommendation that can be made is the segregation of different types of anxiety among students. There are different types of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, phobias, separation anxiety, and each of these anxieties has different methods to be dealt with (Cirino 2016). In order to find out the level of anxiety that the students are facing, different anxiety tests such as Social Phobia Inventory and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale can be used. These will show the level of anxiety the students are having an appropriate recommendation can be given accordingly.
Along with that, the researcher should not exclude the anxiety issue of school-going students during the COVID-19. This is because, according to AlAzzam et al. (2021), due to the closing of all the schools, there has been a rising issue of mental health among the school students as well. This is a gap that has been identified in both research, and to fill this gap, school students also need to be included in the sample of the population.
Conclusion
The main topics covered in this report are the reason behind the students' anxiety issues, the effect of COVID-19 on the mental health of the students, and the literature survey to prepare recommendations. For finding the reasons behind anxiety among the students in the midst of COVID-19, two research papers were analyzed. These research papers showed a rise in anxiety issues among the children after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the closing down of educational institutions and increasing uncertainty, students have come under a lot of pressure to complete their educational qualifications. This has heightened the psychological distress among the student resulting in low motivation to study (Aylie, Mekonen, and Mekuria 2020). The educational intuitions provide remote online classes for their students to reduce the stress level and anxiety among the students. These are also gaps that have been identified in the two research papers, and appropriate recommendations are provided for filling up those gaps in the research.
It can be concluded that there are very fewer measures to address the anxiety issues of the students. The researcher's papers provided evidence that 71% of students are facing an increased level of anxiety issues. This shows that there is a lack of proper access to medical help for the students to deal with their anxiety issues. Suppose there was some proper medical assistance for managing and treating the anxiety issues of the student. Then the students can stay calm and composed, which will help them to get motivated to study. Proper management of stress among the students can also help in the improvement of their academic performance. The availability of nurses plays a crucial role in the treatment of anxiety issues of the students. Nurses can help students by giving them all the necessary advice and guidance to manage their anxiety levels (Muggeo et al., 2017).
Lastly, recommendations regarding further development of work in this field can be given after all the analysis. In the past years, there has been some significant improvement and development in the field of mental health. However, there is much requirement for further development in the part of availing and getting help for mental health. There have to be awareness programs to make people aware of the threats to mental health. There should be more research regarding the reasons for the anxiety in order to find out effective solutions to deal with these issues among the students. Students are a very crucial part of the population because they are the future of the nation. It is necessary to come up with appropriate solutions to deal with their anxiety issues. If the foundation is not strong, there will be many troubles related to anxiety issues among the young population. Only medical institutions and academic institutions are not responsible for managing the anxiety of the students. The domestic environment also plays an essential part in managing the mental health of the students. The students need a lively environment to study, and the parents should make sure that the students are not over pressured.
References
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