In a new Swedish study, researchers looked at how students’ health was affected by the corona restrictions. It found that there was increased concern among students, particularly those who had not previously studied at university level.
In 2020, restrictions were introduced at Swedish universities in connection with the covid outbreak. A new study from Umeå University has analyzed students’ stress levels in connection with the restrictions.
The study mainly looked at students who started their studies in 2020 and are graduating this year with a bachelor’s degree. It found that there was an increase in anxiety for students in general in the context of covid and that it had a negative impact on life satisfaction. Those who mainly experienced higher levels of anxiety were students who had not previously undertaken any university studies. The difference between the concerns of new students and former students persisted until spring 2022.
– Students with limited experience of university studies before the pandemic struck, and especially new students in the fall of 2020, generally experienced a higher degree of anxiety compared to more established students, says researcher Andrea Bohman at Umeå University, to forskning.se.
However, new students who received good support from teachers felt less anxious, the study found. Good classroom dynamics were also important.
The study also shows how Swedish universities have dealt with the corona crisis and the challenges they have faced.
Previous studies have also shown that students all over the world generally felt more depressed with stricter corona restrictions.
