Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
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Students (N = 478) | Workers (N = 478) | Test (df) | p | Effect Size | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age (years) | 23.4 (2.7) | 33.3 (6.9) | t(617.21) = −29.13 | <0.001 | d = 2.07 |
Gender | χ2(1) = 11.13 | 0.001 | |||
Male | 108 (22.6%) | 154 (32.2%) | |||
Female | 370 (77.4%) | 324 (67.8%) | |||
Educational level | χ2(1) = 37.04 | <0.001 | |||
Primary/secondary/high school diploma | 206 (43.1%) | 117 (24.5%) | |||
B.Sc. or M.Sc. degree/postgraduate qualification | 272 (56.9%) | 361 (75.5%) | |||
Marital status | χ2(1) = 191.29 | <0.001 | |||
Not in a relationship | 458 (95.8%) | 278 (58.2%) | |||
In a relationship | 20 (4.2%) | 200 (41.8%) | |||
COVID-19 questions | |||||
Knowing of others who are positive (yes response) | 219 (45.8%) | 267 (55.9%) | χ2(1) = 9.64 | 0.002 | |
Knowing of others who died (yes response) | 59 (12.3%) | 88 (18.4%) | χ2(1) = 6.76 | 0.009 | |
Having had contact with others who tested positive (yes response) | 19 (4.0%) | 94 (19.7%) | χ2(1) = 56.45 | <0.001 | |
Psychological aspects | |||||
Health evaluation (VAS) * | 8.15 (1.5) | 8.2 (1.4) | t(954) = −0.11 | 0.910 | d = 0.01 |
Health concern (VAS) # | 5.4 (2.3) | 6.0 (2.3) | t(954) = −3.83 | <0.001 | d = 0.25 |
STAI Y1 | 49.8 (12.0) | 47.8 (13.0) | t(948.19) = 2.48 | 0.013 | d = 0.16 |
Scored above the STAI Y1 cutoff point (≥41) | 359 (75.1%) | 311 (65.1%) | χ2(1) = 11.50 | <0.001 | |
BDI-II | 12.5 (9.2) | 10.0 (8.8) | t(953) = 4.40 | <0.001 | d = 0.28 |
Scored above the BDI-II cutoff point (>13) | 180 (37.7%) | 137 (25.9%) | χ2(1) = 8.87 | 0.003 |
STAI Y1 | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Predictors | B | β | t | 95% CI | Adj R2 | F | ∆R2 | ∆F |
Model 1 | 0.059 | 8.420 ** | 0.066 | 8.420 ** | ||||
Age | 0.010 | 0.002 | 0.044 | −0.431; 0.451 | ||||
Gender | −7.001 | −0.244 | −5.421 ** | −9.539; −4.463 | ||||
Marital status | 2.571 | 0.043 | 0.948 | −2.761; 7.904 | ||||
Educational level | −2.568 | −0.106 | −2.129 * | −4.938 −0.198 | ||||
Model 2 | 0.242 | 26.377 ** | 0.185 | 58.215 ** | ||||
Age | −0.158 | −0.035 | 0.436 | −0.557; 0.241 | ||||
Gender | −4.412 | −0.153 | −3.720 ** | −6.742; −2.081 | ||||
Marital status | −3.028 | 0.050 | 1.242 | −1.763; 7.819 | ||||
Educational level | −2.009 | −0.083 | −1.853 | −4.140; 0.122 | ||||
Health evaluation | −2.273 | −0.273 | −6.763 ** | −2.933; −1.612 | ||||
Health concern | 1.766 | 0.341 | 8.382 ** | 1.352; 2.180 | ||||
Model 3 | 0.240 | 17.740 ** | 0.003 | 0.601 | ||||
Age | −0.166 | −0.037 | −0.817 | −0.565; 0.233 | ||||
Gender | −4.286 | −0.149 | −3.592 ** | −6.630; −1.941 | ||||
Marital status | 3.200 | 0.053 | 1.309 | −1.604; 8.004 | ||||
Educational level | −2.035 | −0.084 | −1.873 | −4.169; 0.100 | ||||
Health evaluation | −2.231 | −0.268 | −6.589 ** | −2.897; −1.566 | ||||
Health concern | 1.792 | 0.346 | 8.417 ** | 1.373; 2.210 | ||||
COVID-19_1 | −0.291 | −0.012 | −0.273 | −2.386; 1.804 | ||||
COVID-19_2 | 0.045 | 0.001 | 0.028 | −3.091; 3.180 | ||||
COVID-19_3 | −3.159 | −0.051 | −1.255 | −8.105; 1.787 |
BDI-II | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Predictors | B | β | t | 95% CI | Adj R2 | F | ∆R2 | ∆F |
Model 1 | 0.028 | 4.450 ** | 0.036 | 4.450 ** | ||||
Age | 0.084 | 0.025 | 0.480 | −0.260; 0.428 | ||||
Gender | −3.317 | −0.150 | −3.290 ** | −5.299; −1.336 | ||||
Marital status | 0.710 | 0.015 | 0.335 | −3.453; 4.873 | ||||
Educational level | −2.677 | −0.144 | −2.841 ** | −4.529 −0.826 | ||||
Model 2 | 0.143 | 14.230 ** | 0.117 | 32.598 ** | ||||
Age | −0.078 | −0.023 | −0.472 | −0.404; 0.247 | ||||
Gender | −2.494 | −0.113 | −2.573 * | −4.399; −0.589 | ||||
Marital status | 1.429 | 0.031 | 0.717 | −2.485; 5.343 | ||||
Educational level | −2.253 | −0.121 | −2.542 * | −3.995; −0.511 | ||||
Health evaluation | −2.198 | −0.343 | −7.994 ** | −2.739; −1.658 | ||||
Health concern | 0.196 | 0.049 | 1.135 | −0.143; 0.534 | ||||
Model 3 | 0.143 | 9.859 ** | 0.006 | 1.100 | ||||
Age | −0.088 | −0.026 | −0.533 | −0.414; 0.238 | ||||
Gender | −2.471 | −0.112 | −2.538 * | −4.385; −0.557 | ||||
Marital status | 1.521 | 0.033 | 0.763 | −2.398; 5.439 | ||||
Educational level | −2.287 | −0.123 | −2.579 * | −4.030; −0.544 | ||||
Health evaluation | −2.192 | −0.342 | −7.925 ** | −2.736; −1.649 | ||||
Health concern | 0.216 | 0.054 | 1.241 | −0.126; 0.558 | ||||
COVID-19_1 | 0.622 | 0.034 | 0.715 | −1.088; 2.332 | ||||
COVID-19_2 | 0.670 | 0.024 | 0.515 | −1.888; 3.228 | ||||
COVID-19_3 | −3.182 | −0.067 | −1.550 | −7.216; 0.853 |
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Romeo, A.; Benfante, A.; Castelli, L.; Di Tella, M. Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052503
Romeo A, Benfante A, Castelli L, Di Tella M. Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021; 18(5):2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052503
Chicago/Turabian StyleRomeo, Annunziata, Agata Benfante, Lorys Castelli, and Marialaura Di Tella. 2021. "Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18, no. 5: 2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052503
APA StyleRomeo, A., Benfante, A., Castelli, L., & Di Tella, M. (2021). Psychological Distress among Italian University Students Compared to General Workers during the COVID-19 Pandemic. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(5), 2503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052503