PSYCHOSOCIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STUDENTS AT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING

Authors

  • Elizabeth O. Akin-Odanye PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Ernest Kaninjing DrPH., School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College & State University, 231 W Hancock St, Milledgeville, GA 31061 United States of America
  • Roland N. Ndip PhD, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea Cameroon
  • Carol L. Warren PhD, MBA, LCSW, RN-BC, Health Equity Consultant, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, United States of America
  • Chioma C. Asuzu PhD, Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
  • Ivette Lopez PhD, Division of Public Health, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
  • Charles Muiruri PhD, MPH, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
  • Helene Vilme DrPH, MPH, MS, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v8i6.3770

Keywords:

COVID-19 pandemic, mental health, psychological distress, isolation, psychosocial care, institutions of higher learning

Abstract

Students at higher institutions of learning are more susceptible to psychosocial problems compared to the general public. These may further be exacerbated by the measures put in place to curb the spread of COVID-19. This mixed methods study examined the factors associated with the psychosocial impact of COVID-19 on students’ financial stability, interpersonal relationships and worries related to achieving academic milestones. Data comprised of a series of closed and open-ended questions collected via Qualtrics from students in the United States and Africa (Central and West). The quantitative data were analyzed using frequency counts, percentages and chi-square, while the qualitative data was analyzed using thematic content analysis. More than 90% of the students resided in the United States, 72.5% were females and 78.4% were undergraduates. Financial hardship was experienced by 26.4% of the students, 55.8% indicated that COVID-19 negatively affected their relationship with friends and over 40% worried over delays in achieving academic milestones. Continent of residence, employment status and financial hardship were significantly associated with the negative impact of COVID-19 on one or more of the students’ relationships and with worries about achieving academic milestones. Qualitative data support the findings that financial hardship contributed to experience of psychological distress by students. It also revealed negative (compromised relationships – broken or fractured relationships and loneliness) and positive (bonding) impact of COVID-19 on interpersonal relationships. School administrators should provide students with resources to access economic relief packages and tele-counseling services to help meet their financial and psychosocial support needs amidst COVID-19.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Elizabeth O. Akin-Odanye, PhD, Department of Clinical Psychology, University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria
    Dr Elizabeth Akin-Odanye is a Senior Clinical Psychologist at the University College Hospital Ibadan, Nigeria. Her research interest is in behavioral cancer research as well as in contemporary issues that have implication for mental health. Her participation in this study is in data collection, data analysis and manuscript development.
  • Ernest Kaninjing, DrPH., School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College & State University, 231 W Hancock St, Milledgeville, GA 31061 United States of America

    Dr. Ernest Kaninjing is an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Georgia College & State University. He’s a behavioral scientist with prostate cancer and health disparity expertise. For over seven years he has worked in underserved communities specifically in cancer control and prevention outreach aimed at reducing health disparities. His research focus is to illuminate the behavioral, environmental, dietary, and genetic risk factors for prostate cancer among men of African ancestry. He has experience in the design and conduct of mixed-method studies using community-based participatory approach. His participation in the current study on "Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 on College Students" was in data collection and manuscript development.

  • Roland N. Ndip, PhD, Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Box 63, Buea Cameroon
    Roland N. Ndip is currently a Professor of Microbiology, and Dean, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Cameroon. He studied Microbiology at the undergraduate and Master's level at the University of Lagos, Nigeria and has a PhD in Medical Microbiology at the Edo State University, Ekpoma, Nigeria. His research interest is in Infectious diseases with a bias in conventional and molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial chemotherapy. He took part in the planning of the study, supervised its execution, preparation of the draft manuscript, read and approved the final manuscript.
  • Chioma C. Asuzu, PhD, Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies, University of Ibadan, Nigeria
    Chioma Asuzu is a Professor of Clinical Psychology and Psycho-Oncology at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She is also a specialist adviser to University College Hospital on Psycho-oncology. Her research interest is on behavioural cancer research and other mental health issues. She assisted in data collection, review and editing of the manuscript.
  • Ivette Lopez, PhD, Division of Public Health, Department of Family & Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
    Dr. Ivette A. Lopez is a Professor of Public Health and Core Educator and Lead of Community Engaged Learning at the School of Medicine of the University of Utah. She is also the Director of the Utah Area Health Education Centers. She obtained her PhD in Social and Behavioral Sciences at the College of Public Health of the University of South Florida. Her research interests are health disparity condition for Latinos, African Americans and other disadvantaged populations, both in rural and urban areas. Further, she conducts all her research and education with Community Health Workers.  She assisted with the data analysis and editing of the article.
  • Charles Muiruri, PhD, MPH, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America; Kilimanjaro Christian Medical University College, Moshi, Tanzania
    Dr. Charles Muiruri is a health services researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.  His research focuses on vulnerable populations with multiple chronic conditions. His participation in this study was in conceptualization of the overall study, review and editing of the manuscript
  • Helene Vilme, DrPH, MPH, MS, Department of Population Health Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, United States of America
    Dr. Helene Vilme is a social science researcher at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, USA.  Her research focuses on college student health. Her participation in this study is in conceptualization, project administration, analysis, review  and editing the final draft of the manuscript.

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Published

2021-06-04

Issue

Vol. 8 No. 6 (2021)

Section

Articles

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