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Mental health and COVID-19 in university students: a qualitative study comparing Italy and the UK
- I. Riboldi, C. A. Capogrosso, S. Piacenti, A. Calabrese, S. Lucini Paioni, F. Bartoli, J. Armes, C. Crocamo, C. Taylor, G. Carrà
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, pp. S209-S210
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Introduction
The worldwide spread of the COVID-19 pandemic affected all major sectors, including higher education. The measures to contain this deadly disease led to the closure of universities across the globe, introducing several changes in students’ academic and social experience. During the last two years, self-isolation together with the difficulties linked to online teaching and learning, have amplified psychological burden and mental health vulnerability of students.
ObjectivesWe aimed to explore in depth students’ feelings and perspectives regarding the impact of the COVID-19 on their mental health and to compare these data among students from Italy and the UK.
MethodsData were resulting from the qualitative arm of “the CAMPUS study”, a large ongoing project to longitudinally assess the mental health of university students enrolled at the University of Milano-Bicocca (Unimib, Italy) and the University of Surrey (UoS, Guildford, UK). We conducted in-depth interviews through the Microsoft Teams online platform between September 2021 and April 2022, and thematically analysed the transcripts.
ResultsA total of 33 students (15 for Unimib and 18 for UoS), with a wide range of sociodemographic characteristics, were interviewed. Four themes were identified: i) impact of COVID-19 on students’ mental health; ii) causes of poor mental health; iii) most vulnerable subgroups; vi) coping strategies.
Anxiety symptoms, social anxiety, and stress were frequently reported as negative effects of the pandemic, while the main sources of poor mental health were identified in loneliness, exceeding time online, unhealthy management of space and time, bad organization/communication with university, low motivation and uncertainty about the future. Freshers, international or off-campus students, as well as both extremely extroverted and introverted subjects, represented the most vulnerable populations, because of their extensive exposure to loneliness. Among coping strategies, the opportunity to take time for yourself, family support, and mental health support were common in the sample.
Some differences were found comparing students from Italy and the UK. While at Unimib the impact of COVID-19 on mental health was mainly described in relation to academic worries and the inadequate organization of the university system, UoS students, familiar to the conviviality of campus life, explained these effects as a result of the drastic loss of social connectedness.
ConclusionsThe current study highlights the key role of mental health support for university students, mainly during crisis times, and calls for measures to improve communication between students and the educational institution, as well as to encourage social connectedness.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Refugees, war trauma and mental health: knowledge and experience from trainees and early career psychiatrists
- S. Bianchi, I. Riboldi, D. Őri, S. Pompili, C. Pavel, A. Seker, E. Psychiatry Across Borders Working Group
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- Journal:
- European Psychiatry / Volume 66 / Issue S1 / March 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 19 July 2023, p. S283
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- Article
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- You have access Access
- Open access
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Introduction
Psychiatry Across Borders working group of the European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees has the mission to improve psychiatric training in transcultural psychiatry and trauma-related topics in Europe. It started conducting a survey in 2016, to assess trainees’ experiences in forcibly displaced people mental health (Frankova et al. Transcult.Psychiatry, in press).
ObjectivesTo investigate European psychiatric trainees’ and Early Career Psychiatrists’ (ECPs) training about trauma and refugees’ mental health, focusing on educational and clinical difficulties occurring while assisting war refugees or in Eastern Europe, due to the ongoing conflict.
MethodsA new survey for European psychiatric trainees and ECPs was designed. A web questionnaire was shared through various channels, including social media, in September 2022. It included an informed consent form and investigated socio-demographic data, training in trauma and refugees’ mental health, clinical practice in war areas or with war refugees.
ResultsAs of 16/10/22, 31 were the responders, mainly adult psychiatrists (93.6%). Although the 87.1% worked with forcibly displaced people, only 29% received a specific training, and 53.6% didn’t feel prepared to face war trauma-related disorders. However, 64.3% could reach out to a teamwork member specialized in the topic, and 72.2% to interpreters. The 67.7% worked with actual war refugees, mainly addressed to psychiatric services due to new onset of psychiatric symptoms, especially insomnia (66.7%), often diagnosed with Acute Stress Reaction (66.7%) and treated with psychiatric drugs (83.3%). Two colleagues working in war areas participated in the survey: both lost patients at follow-up and experienced increased workload or lack of means (i.e., drug supply) or support.
ConclusionsThis survey can spot educational needs in transcultural psychiatry, helping to program targeted interventions for psychiatric trainees and ECPs, aimed at implementing clinical practice towards the common goal of social cohesion.
Disclosure of InterestNone Declared