COVID-19 and Mental Health: A Study of its Impact on Students

The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the personal, social and psychological impact of COVID -19 on the mental health of students of age group 16 to 25. A response from N= 351 students (from the most affected state in India), provided a comparative analysis based on the gender, and background via t-test with significance factor of p[≤]0.5, to understand the pattern in issues related to mental health during the pandemic. The results show that female students are more concerned about health, and future, and are more prone to psychological issues like feelings of uncertainty, helplessness and outbursts than male students. Urban students population is more mentally affected than their rural counterparts, however time spent on the internet is almost the same despite the difference in infrastructure and resources. Also, there is an increase in need for solitude, being withdrawn and self-harm in male students require attention. A shift in perception from seeing family as a source of support to that of a restriction is indicated, although the benefits of a collectivistic society are undisputed. The results indicate that there is overall increased awareness about mental health among the student population and with programs/strategies focusing on background and gender, a significant improvement is attainable. Impact StatementThis study performs an analysis of the students response to questions based on social and self-perception as a result of COVID-19. It also discusses the nature of adaptive strategies espoused by them and their effectiveness in dealing with the pandemic, isolation, and the new normal. FundingNot applicable Conflicts of interest/Competing interestsThere was no conflict of interest