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Psychological Distress During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic and Associated Factors Among Undergraduate Students in Japan

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 December 2022

Yukihiro Sato Open the ORCID record for Yukihiro Sato [Opens in a new window] ,
Hiroshi Yatsuya ,
Yasuaki Saijo ,
Eiji Yoshioka  and
Takahiro Tabuchi
Yukihiro Sato*
Affiliation:
Division of Public Health and Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan
Hiroshi Yatsuya
Affiliation:
Department of Public Health and Health Systems, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Aichi, Japan Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Aichi, Japan
Yasuaki Saijo
Affiliation:
Division of Public Health and Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan
Eiji Yoshioka
Affiliation:
Division of Public Health and Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, Asahikawa Medical University, Hokkaido, Japan
Takahiro Tabuchi
Affiliation:
Cancer Control Center, Osaka International Cancer Institute, Osaka, Japan
*
Corresponding author: Yukihiro Sato, Email: ys@epid.work
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Abstract

Objective:

This cross-sectional study aimed to examine factors potentially associated with psychological distress among undergraduate students during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic in Japan.

Methods:

We analyzed data of 958 undergraduates (median age 20 y; 56.8% women) from a Web-based, self-administered questionnaire survey conducted from August to September 2020. Prevalence ratios (PRs) for psychological distress defined as 5 points or over of the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) were calculated by Poisson regression models.

Results:

The proportion of psychological distress was 40.0%. In the mutually-adjusted model, the following were significantly associated with psychological distress: decreases in household income to 50-99% of the prepandemic amount compared with no change (PR = 1.48), newly experiencing unpaid wages compared with no experience (PR = 1.44), insufficient money to buy necessities compared with no shortage (PR = 1.45), receiving a student loan or scholarship compared with none (PR = 1.27), and communication 1 to 3 times a month compared with at least once a week (PR = 1.22). In contrast, school closure during the pandemic compared with no closure was inversely associated with psychological distress (PR = 0.78).

Conclusions:

Among undergraduate students in Japan, economic difficulties significantly predicted psychological distress.

Keywords

coronavirus disease 2019psychological distressuniversity studentscollege students
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 17 , 2023 , e294
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc.

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