Analysis of Depressive Symptoms in Higher Education During COVID-19

This report examines the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of higher education students, focusing on the prevalence of depressive symptoms across different countries. The analysis includes an interpretation of a graph illustrating the mean level of depression symptoms, highlighting the challenges students face, such as academic stress and changes in their environment. The study reviews the research methodology, data collection, and the variables considered, including gender, age, and socioeconomic factors. It also identifies the drawbacks in the data collection process and offers recommendations for future research, emphasizing the need for a larger sample size and the inclusion of additional variables. The conclusion underscores the significant impact of the pandemic on students' mental health, supported by references to relevant studies. The report provides a comprehensive overview of the issue, offering valuable insights into the mental health challenges faced by students during the pandemic.

DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN
HIGHER EDUCATION STUDENTS
DURING THE FIRST WAVE OF THE
COVID-19 PANDEMIC

TABLE OF CONTENT
• Introduction
• Graph interpretation
• Appropriateness of research methodology
• Drawback in the data collection methodology
• Recommendations
• Conclusion
• References

INTRODUCTION
• The presentation is based upon the article which has been written over the topic Depressive
symptoms in higher education students during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
• Within the study, the graph will be analysed which is based upon the statistics which shows
the level of depressive symptoms among different countries.

GRAPH INTERPRETATION
• The represented graph has been built in order to
identify mean level of depression symptoms in
various countries.
• Basically students within the higher education faces
various significant which develops mental health
issues and problems among various students.
• At the time of entering into the higher education
sector, the students are already confronted with
different types of changes as well as challenges in
the nature of the school experiences.
• Students already have to face elevated level of
academic stress which has been continued
throughout their whole session along with provide
them challenging curriculum with high intellectual
demands.

CONTD.
• Turkey, the Spain, South Africa, USA and UK shows high number of symptoms among
students who are studying in the higher education.
• In order to evaluate all the aspects in detailed manner, the multilevel analysis have been
applied in a stepwise procedure.
• The students who are getting selected for the purpose of the study are having characteristics of
socio demographic, socio economic and provide social support to the factors at each country
level.
• Moreover, the Belgium, Netherlands, Czech, Portugal, Italy, Russia, Hungary, Slovakia,
Greece and Island shows approximately equal level of depression symptoms faced by the higher
secondary students especially at the time of first wave of pandemic situation.

CONTD.
• The diagram also illustrate about the different level of depressive symptoms among students
which has been varied all across the countries during the first phase of pandemic situation.
• Moreover, in the whole study, the female students are identified at more risk as they are facing
more issues in order to handle the pressure which has been imposed within them because of the
pandemic situations.
• The students those are having faced fewer level of social support, less resources and get more
disadvantaged socio economic positions along with among the students who are migrants of
another country.

APPROPRIATENESS OF RESEARCH
METHODOLOGY
• As per the research, it has been evaluated that the investigation over the mental health in the
general population confirms a negative psychological impacts of the Covid 19 and also shows
the long-lasting impacts of the situation over the mental status of the people.
• The study majorly focused towards the higher education students which points out over the
similar direction.
• The data has been appropriately collected and the information gathered which consists of
approximately 99,689 higher education students.
• Moreover, the specialization or master’s degree students are excluded from the study. In such
way the study shows their high level of genuineness towards the topic chosen.

VARIABLES, ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES
USED AND INTERPRETATIONS MADE
• In context of variables, the scale was used to measure the frequency and severity of
depressive symptoms .
• The variables such as gender, age, relationship status and migrant background had been
considered.
• For the study, the subsample of the data was utilized to cover each participating country
during the time with stable policy measures.
• The final interpretation includes that the study have several limitations which includes that
depressive symptoms were not assessed prior to Covid-19.
• The C19ISWS made use of convenience sample in terms of selecting the students and HEI’s
as well as countries.

DRAWBACK IN THE DATA COLLECTION
METHODOLOGY
• The drawback of the study is that the report or
data has been gathered on the basis of age factor.
• Moreover, the sample size should be also large in
order to get more appropriate results.

RECOMMENDATIONS
• In order to elaborate over the recommendations, it
has been examined that various other variables and
factors has been adopted.
• In order to elaborate the aspects of the research as
the investigator adopts study on the basis of socio
demographic, socio-economic and social support
factors only.

CONCLUSION
• From the above study it has been concluded that the Covid 19 has drastically impacted the
mental health status of the higher education students especially at the time of first phase of
pandemic situation.

REFERENCES
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health of women. Journal of Perinatal Medicine, 48(9), pp.971-976.
• Li, Y. and et.al., 2021. Mental health among college students during the COVID-19
pandemic in China: A 2-wave longitudinal survey. Journal of affective disorders, 281,
pp.597-604.
• Villani, L. and et.al., 2021. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological well-being
of students in an Italian university: a web-based cross-sectional survey. Globalization and
health, 17(1), pp.1-14.
• Szuster, E. and et.al., 2022. Depressive and Sexual Disorders during the First and Second
Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic among Young Polish Women. International Journal of
Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), p.1887.
• Kar, N., Kar, B. and Kar, S., 2021. Stress and coping during COVID-19 pandemic: Result of
an online survey. Psychiatry research, 295, p.113598.