Submit to Sustainability Review for Sustainability Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Psychology of Sustainability and Sustainable Development".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 June 2023) | Viewed by 18270

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Psychology Department, School of Life and Nature Sciences, Nebrija University, 28240 Madrid, Spain
Interests: neuropsychology; neurodegeneration processes; microbiota; gut–brain axis; mental health
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the appearance of SARS-CoV-2 in December 2019, there have been millions of infections worldwide, and the clinical presentation has been heterogeneous. Scientific studies have aimed to discover common symptomatology in patients in different domains.

However, recent months have highlighted the need to consider the impact of the virus on people's mental health and associated wellbeing. This is due to the increased occurrence of mental disorders during the period of confinement or the increased severity of previously diagnosed disorders. There are several factors that can impact on people's well-being associated with COVID-19 and its physical, emotional, psychological and physiological sequelae. For this reason, it is essential to study protective elements that favour a better prediction of the disease once it has been diagnosed or even before it appears, so that people can anticipate the damage that may appear.

Previous literature in this field suggests the importance of determining which elements can facilitate recovery at the time of SARS-CoV-2 onset, as well as enhancing mental and physical capacities that allow for a rapid and full recovery of mental well-being. The following topics are proposed for this Special Issue:

A protective approach to mental health during illness.
Psychophysiological measures that favour the reduction in the sequelae associated with the illness.
Psychological and social support networks.
Mental health intervention during confinement.
Information/disinformation about the pandemic and its effects on people's mental well-being state.
Attitudes and actions of determined sectors of society that are more vulnerable to the psychological effects of the disease.

Prof. Dr. Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

mental well-being
SARS-CoV-2
pandemic
psychology sequelae

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Order results

Result details

Show export options Show export options

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

29 pages, 2706 KiB

Open AccessArticle

STEM Students’ Academic Well-Being at University before and during Later Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Cohort and Longitudinal Study

by Lianne Aarntzen, Marlon Nieuwenhuis, Maaike D. Endedijk, Ruth van Veelen and Saskia M. Kelders

Sustainability 2023, 15(19), 14267; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151914267 - 27 Sep 2023

Viewed by 2201

Abstract

This paper offers an indepth analysis of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on STEM students’ academic well-being beyond the initial stages of the pandemic. We draw upon a unique self-collected cross-sectional cohort dataset (n = 990, prepandemic and pandemic first-year STEM students) and longitudinal dataset (n = 170, students who started their studies pre-pandemic and are in their second year during the pandemic). Study 1 revealed that STEM students’ academic well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic was lower than before its onset, as shown when comparing a pre-pandemic and pandemic cohort of first-year students and from analyzing first-year students’ changes in academic well-being over time (i.e., lower academic satisfaction, belonging, efficacy and persistence intentions). Study 2 showed that especially COVID-19-related worries regarding academic enjoyment and study progress were related to STEM students’ decreased academic well-being, both for first and second-year students. Study 3 demonstrated that both peer support and faculty support contributed to higher academic well-being among first and second-year STEM students during the pandemic. These findings benefit policymakers and higher education institutions as they provide insight in how to safeguard sustainable academic well-being for STEM students in times of crisis or challenge. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 438 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comparison of Urban and Rural Areas

by Abdul-Salam Sulemana, Trinh Xuan Thi Nguyen, Sumeet Lal, Mostafa Saidur Rahim Khan and Yoshihiko Kadoya

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12218; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612218 - 10 Aug 2023

Viewed by 1375

Abstract

Although studies have explored how loneliness varies between rural and urban areas during the COVID-19 pandemic, the results have been inconsistent, and most studies are observational. Therefore, it remains unclear how urban–rural differences affected loneliness in a pandemic. Our study uses nationwide data to clarify this, covering periods before and during the pandemic. We analyze a longitudinal dataset from Hiroshima University’s Household Behavior and Finance Survey, which collected demographic, socioeconomic, and psychological characteristics of Japanese adults in 2020, 2021, and 2022, thus reflecting the COVID-19 pandemic timeline. The results show that approximately 50% of those surveyed experienced long-term loneliness, while about 6.5% developed loneliness during the pandemic. Although our weighted logit regression models showed few differences in loneliness during the pandemic between urban and rural areas, socioeconomic changes, such as beginning to live alone, leaving full-time employment, and decreased financial satisfaction, were identified as high-risk factors for loneliness, and their impact varied between rural and urban areas. Our results reflect that rural–urban differences have an effect on people’s loneliness during a pandemic but need to be considered together with socioeconomic changes. This knowledge can aid governments and healthcare providers in identifying those most at risk of loneliness within urban–rural regional boundaries. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 906 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sleepless Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of Insomnia Symptoms among Professionally Active Romanians during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Tiberiu Constantin Ionescu, Bogdana Ioana Fetecau, Stefan Zaharia, Elma-Maria Mînecan and Catalina Tudose

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1191; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021191 - 9 Jan 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1342

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic put considerable strain on individual mental health. The current study aimed to determine the prevalence and severity of insomnia symptoms among students and employees during this period. Methods: This paper is a cross-sectional analysis using convenience sampling. A web-based anonymous survey was developed and included questions about socio-demographic characteristics, contact with COVID-19, and the Athens Insomnia Scale. Results: 620 participants, 331 students, and 289 employees were included in the final sample. According to the current findings, 21.29% (n = 132) of participants met the criteria for insomnia, and 39.03% (n = 242) met the criteria for mild sleep disturbances. Conclusions: Although respondents reported an increased prevalence of sleep disorders, these changes were not directly related to the presence or severity of the infection but rather to a variety of socio-demographic and lifestyle-related variables. Students associated more frequently with the next-day consequences of insomnia (overall functioning and sleepiness during the day), while for employees, the most prevalent were awakenings during the night and early morning awakenings. Furthermore, sleep difficulties were more prevalent in women, single people, sedentary people, and those with psychiatric disorders. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 605 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Biopsychosocial Approach to Examining Alcohol Consumption among Youth during the COVID-19 Pandemic

by Orit Shapiro, Riki Tesler, Sharon Barak, Lilach Ben-Meir, Ariela Giladi, Rachel Nissanholtz-Gannot, Gizell Green, Moti Zwilling, Avi Zigdon and Yossi Harel-Fisch

Sustainability 2022, 14(22), 15035; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142215035 - 14 Nov 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3039

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between biopsychosocial characteristics (age, sex, self-rated health, mental health, parental socio-economic status, family support, teacher support, peer support) and alcohol consumption (weekly alcohol consumption in the past three months, drunkenness in the past three months, and binge drinking in the past month) in adolescents during a crisis event. The study consisted of 1019 Israeli students aged 11–18. Questionnaires were distributed to the students between May and July 2021 during school. Teacher support among those who presented weekly alcohol consumption and drunkenness in the past three months was lower than in those who did not present such behavior. The effects of parental support differed only for drunkenness behavior, with those who engaged in drunken behavior presenting significantly less parental support. Our findings suggest that teacher support and mental health are the two major factors in preventing risky alcohol consumption behavior during a crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, among adolescents. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 1143 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing the Relationships between Internet Addiction, Depression, COVID-19-Related Fear, Anxiety, and Suspicion among Graduate Students in Educational Administration: A Structural Equation Modeling Analysis

by Turgut Karakose

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5356; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095356 - 29 Apr 2022

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3364

Abstract

This study aims to examine the relationships between Internet addiction, depression, COVID-19-related fear, anxiety, and suspicion in graduate students. A total of 482 students pursuing a master’s degree in educational administration participated in the study, which was designed according to the relational survey model. The data of the study were collected using online questionnaires, and the proposed hypotheses were tested and analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results of the study revealed that COVID-19-related suspicion positively and significantly predicted COVID-19-related fear and anxiety. In this context, the increased suspicion of graduate students due to COVID-19 also increased their fear and COVID-19-related anxiety, and this increased the possibility that they would exhibit depressive behaviors. However, a positive and significant relationship was found between COVID-19-related suspicion and depression. This result confirms that the increased suspicion of the participant students due to COVID-19 led to an increase in their depression scores. SEM results have shown a positive relationship between fear and anxiety related to COVID-19 and Internet addiction, and that the increase in students’ anxiety and fear levels also increases their Internet addiction levels. In addition, the results of the study revealed that depression has a negligible indirect effect on the relationship between COVID-19-related fear, anxiety, and suspicion and Internet addiction. In conclusion, the proposed hypothetical model is confirmed after having examined the relationships among depression, Internet addiction, COVID-19-related fear and anxiety, and suspicion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 304 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Food Consumption and COVID-19 Risk Perception of University Students

by Stephanie Rodriguez-Besteiro, Gabriel Valencia-Zapata, Elisama Beltrán de la Rosa and Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez

Sustainability 2022, 14(3), 1625; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14031625 - 30 Jan 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2866

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the differences in COVID-19 risk perception of university students, depending on their food consumption (proinflammatory diet and non-proinflammatory diet). A total of 513 university students aged between 16 and 42 years (PDG: mean 20.26, standard deviation 3.07; NPDG: mean 21.78, standard deviation 4.12) were interviewed via an online questionnaire. The study subjects were divided into two groups: a proinflammatory diet group (PDG) who obtained higher values on pasta, rice, bread, pastries, juices, and fruit consumption; and non-proinflammatory diet group (NPGD) who presented low consumption on these products. Significant results were obtained (p < 0.05) on how a proinflammatory diet presented a higher COVID-19 risk perception in university students (PDG 7.92 ± 2.46; NPGD 7.12 ± 2.28). In addition, students with a proinflammatory diet presented lower values in depression (PDG 48.32 ± 5.33; NPGD 49.83 ± 5.23) and loneliness (PDG 4.91 ± 1.67; NPGD 5.14 ± 1.68) and higher values in openness to experience (PDG 7.5 ± 1.53; NPGD 7.20 ± 1.54) than students with a non-proinflammatory diet. Furthermore, students with a proinflammatory diet were most affected in work (loss of work, reduced work, or unaffected work) due to the COVID-19 crisis (PDG 2.54 ± 0.65; NPGD 3.99 ± 0.26). The proinflammatory diet group presented higher values in complying with the confinement rules than students with a non-proinflammatory diet (PDG 8.26 ± 1.83; NPGD 7.74 ± 2.10). The results of this study may be a useful tool to explain and prevent both the psychological and general health consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in students. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 870 KiB

Open AccessReview

Impact of COVID-19 Confinement on Mental Health in Youth and Vulnerable Populations: An Extensive Narrative Review

by Manuel Reiriz, Macarena Donoso-González, Benjamín Rodríguez-Expósito, Sara Uceda and Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco

Sustainability 2023, 15(4), 3087; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15043087 - 8 Feb 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2753

Abstract

The objective of this narrative review is to analyze the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of particularly vulnerable groups. This information will allow a better understanding of the determining factors that influence the appearance and/or maintenance of mood disorders. To achieve the main objective of this study, a critical review was carried out in which primary sources such as scientific articles, secondary sources such as databases, and other appropriate reference indexes were considered. The results indicated that there was an increase in the diagnosis of mood disorders and the use of medication associated with these disorders, mainly during the period of reclusion that was declared worldwide in March 2020. In addition, risk factors such as loneliness, a lack of resilience, and a lack of adequate coping strategies negatively impacted these groups. The future consequences of this may be reflected over many years thereafter, and it is important that all data obtained from this point forward be considered by mental health professionals and the general population. This review can be a starting point for looking directly at the most vulnerable populations and considering both the resources available to them and the possible aftermath of a traumatic period in everyone’s lives. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being)

► Show Figures

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Well-Being

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI