POST-COVID-19 PANDEMIC, BACK TO CLASSROOM CLASSES: ASSESSMENT OF THE MENTAL HEALTH OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this research was to verify the prevalence of symptoms of psychological distress, mainly anxiety symptoms, in students from different courses at some universities in Campina Grande/PB, when returning, in person, to classes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and exploratory study that evaluated 104 students from some universities in Campina Grande/PB. Data collection: Data were collected, in May 2022, through two self-administered instruments (questionnaires), available on Google's online survey management platform. Through this virtual platform, participants were able to electronically agree to the Free and Informed Consent Form and to participate in the study. Questionnaires: The first was a questionnaire prepared by the authors themselves to assess the social, demographic and cultural profile of the population. For the tracking of signs of psychic suffering, the Self-Report Questionnaire, adapted by the researchers, was used, a questionnaire with 15 items, directed to anxiety symptoms. Data analysis: For categorical variables, relative and absolute percentage frequencies were used. Associations between categorical variables were tested using Pearson's chi-square test. The significance level adopted was 5%. The software used was the R Core Team 2020. Results: The prevalence of individuals with signs of psychological distress, mainly anxiety symptoms, was 75.4%. The study observed as risk factors for mental illness in back to university, post-COVID-19 pandemic: being female, reporting poor adaptation to distance learning, having difficulty concentrating, worrying about delay in graduation , worrying about going back, in person,  to classes, worrying about presential tests, having a previous diagnosis of a mental disorder, being unable to maintain healthy habits. Conclusion: This study showed that the signs of psychological distress, anxiety symptoms are high among university students, from different universities in Campina Grande/PB, on their return to classrooms after the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, it was also possible to conclude that there are protective factors for mental illness.