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University Student Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Outbreak: What Are the Relationships between Information Seeking, Perceived Risk and Personal Resources Related to the Academic Context?

Author

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  • Vincenza Capone

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

  • Daniela Caso

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

  • Anna Rosa Donizzetti

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

  • Fortuna Procentese

    (Department of Humanities, University of Naples Federico II, 80100 Naples, Italy)

Abstract

In light of rising concern about the coronavirus pandemic crisis, a growing number of universities across the world have either postponed or canceled all campus and other activities. This posed new challenges for university students. Based on the classification proposed in the Mental Health Continuum model by Keyes, the aims were to estimate university students’ prevalence of mental health during lookdown outbreak, and to examine the associations between mental health and, respectively, academic stress, self-efficacy, satisfaction for degree course, locus of control, COVID-19 risk perception, taking into account the level of information seeking about pandemic. Overall, 1124 Italian university students completed a self-report questionnaire. Data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational analyses. Results showed that 22.3% of participants were flourishing, and levels of mental well-being appeared in line with normative values in young Italian adults; levels of academic stress were not significantly higher than those found in other student samples before the COVID-19 outbreak. Students with high levels of information seeking presented higher levels of well-being and risk perception. Results could be considered useful to realize training pathways, to help the university students to improve their well-being, post-pandemic.

Suggested Citation

  • Vincenza Capone & Daniela Caso & Anna Rosa Donizzetti & Fortuna Procentese, 2020. "University Student Mental Well-Being during COVID-19 Outbreak: What Are the Relationships between Information Seeking, Perceived Risk and Personal Resources Related to the Academic Context?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(17), pages 1-17, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:17:p:7039-:d:405737
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Ebru Caglayan Akay & Devrim Dumludag & Hoseng Bulbul & Ozkan Zulfuoglu, 2023. "Students in Turkey During the Early Days of the COVID-19 Pandemic," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 249-277, February.
    3. Fortuna Procentese & Vincenza Capone & Daniela Caso & Anna Rosa Donizzetti & Flora Gatti, 2020. "Academic Community in the Face of Emergency Situations: Sense of Responsible Togetherness and Sense of Belonging as Protective Factors against Academic Stress during COVID-19 Outbreak," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(22), pages 1-12, November.
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    5. Francisco Manuel Morales-Rodríguez, 2021. "Fear, Stress, Resilience and Coping Strategies during COVID-19 in Spanish University Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, May.
    6. Gina Ionela Butnaru & Alina-Petronela Haller & Larisa-Loredana Dragolea & Alexandru Anichiti & Georgia-Daniela Tacu Hârșan, 2021. "Students’ Wellbeing during Transition from Onsite to Online Education: Are There Risks Arising from Social Isolation?," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-23, September.
    7. Sabrina Cipolletta & Gabriela Rios Andreghetti & Giovanna Mioni, 2022. "Risk Perception towards COVID-19: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Synthesis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(8), pages 1-25, April.
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    9. Ceren Hayran & Lalin Anik, 2021. "Well-Being and Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) on Digital Content in the Time of COVID-19: A Correlational Analysis among University Students," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-13, February.
    10. Francesco Craig & Rocco Servidio & Maria Luigia Calomino & Francesca Candreva & Lucia Nardi & Adriana Palermo & Alberto Polito & Maria Francesca Spina & Flaviana Tenuta & Angela Costabile, 2023. "Adverse Childhood Experiences and Mental Health among Students Seeking Psychological Counseling Services," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(10), pages 1-18, May.
    11. Nicolás C. Bronfman & Paula B. Repetto & Pamela C. Cisternas & Javiera V. Castañeda, 2021. "Factors Influencing the Adoption of COVID-19 Preventive Behaviors in Chile," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-13, May.
    12. Juwon Hwang & Porismita Borah & Dhavan Shah & Markus Brauer, 2021. "The Relationship among COVID-19 Information Seeking, News Media Use, and Emotional Distress at the Onset of the Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(24), pages 1-13, December.
    13. Bacci, Silvia & Fabbricatore, Rosa & Iannario, Maria, 2023. "Multilevel IRT models for the analysis of satisfaction for distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    14. Sabina Potra & Adrian Pugna & Mădălin-Dorin Pop & Romeo Negrea & Luisa Dungan, 2021. "Facing COVID-19 Challenges: 1st-Year Students’ Experience with the Romanian Hybrid Higher Educational System," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(6), pages 1-15, March.
    15. Misato Uehara & Makoto Fujii & Kazuki Kobayashi & Yasuto Hayashi & Yuki Arai, 2021. "Common Factors of Stress Change under the First COVID-19 Outbreak as Observed in Four Global Cities," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-19, May.
    16. Llewellyn Ellardus Zyl, 2021. "Social Study Resources and Social Wellbeing Before and During the Intelligent COVID-19 Lockdown in The Netherlands," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 157(1), pages 393-415, August.
    17. Guido Capaldo & Vincenza Capone & Jolanta Babiak & Beata Bajcar & Dorota Kuchta, 2021. "Efficacy Beliefs, Empowering Leadership, and Project Success in Public Research Centers: An Italian–Polish Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-19, June.

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