Kuzey Kıbrıs'taki Uluslararası Üniversite Öğrencileri Arasında COVID-19 Salgını Sırasında Ruh Sağlığı, Yalnızlık ve Sosyal Destek

Year 2022, Volume: 4 Issue: 3, 211 - 221, 27.09.2022

Glorıa Manyeruke , Deniz Ergün

Abstract

COVID-19 salgını, çeşitli popülasyonların ruh sağlığını olumsuz yönde etkiledi. Ruhsal rahatsızlıklara yatkın olan üniversite öğrencileri arasında uluslararası öğrencilerin bu durumdan daha fazla etkilendiği düşünülmüştür. Bundan dolayı bu çalışmanın amacı, COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında Kuzey Kıbrıs'taki uluslararası öğrenciler arasında depresyon, kaygı, stres yalnızlığı ve algılanan sosyal desteği incelemektir. Depresyon, kaygı, stres, yalnızlık ve algılanan sosyal destek puanları karantina dönemi Kıbrıs’ta kalan uluslararası öğrenciler ile memleketlerine dönen öğrenciler karşılaştırılmıştır ve ayrıca karantina dönemi Kıbrıs’ta kalan uluslararası öğrenciler arasında depresyon, kaygı ve stres puanlarını yordayan faktörler incelenmiştir. Araştırmanın örneklemini kolayda örnekleme ile seçilen 262 öğrenci oluşturmuştur. Veri toplamada sosyodemografik form, Depresyon Anksiyete Stres Ölçeği-Kısa Form, Revize California Los Angeles Üniversitesi Yalnızlık Ölçeği ve Çok Boyutlu Algılanan Sosyal Destek Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, karantina sırasında öğrencilerin en çok kendi sağlıkları, ailelerinin sağlığı ve akademik performans konusunda endişelendiğini ortaya koydu. Karantina sırasında Kıbrıs'ta kalan uluslararası öğrenciler, kendi ülkelerine geri dönen ve karantina sırasında orada bulunan uluslararası öğrencilere göre daha yüksek depresyon ve daha düşük algılanan aile desteği puanına sahipti. Hiyerarşik lineer regresyon sonucu, Kıbrıs'ta kalış süresinin, önemli birinin algılanan desteğinin ve stresin, depresyon puanındaki varyansın %73'ünü açıklayan yordayıcılar olduğunu göstermiştir. Cinsiyet, aylık gelir ve stres, varyansın %63’ünü açıklayan kaygının önemli yordayıcılarıydı, önemli birinin algılanan desteğinin, depresyon ve kaygı, varyansın %78'ini açıklayan stresin yordayıcılarıydı. Mevcut çalışmanın bulguları, üniversitelerin ve devletlerin uluslararası öğrenciler için sosyal destek ve koruyucu ruh sağlığı programlarını dikkate alması gerektiğini vurgulamaktadır.

Keywords

Depresyon, Anksiyete, Stres, Algılanan Sosyal Destek, Uluslararası Üniversite Öğrencileri

Mental Health, Loneliness and Social Support during COVID-19 Pandemic among International University Students in North Cyprus

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely affected the mental health of various populations. It is thought that international students are more affected by this situation among university students who are prone to mental disorders. For this reason, the aim of the current study was to investigate depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness and perceived social support among international students in North Cyprus during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness and perceived social support scores were compared between international students who stayed in Cyprus during the quarantine period and students who returned to their home countries and also the factors predicting depression, anxiety and stress scores among international students staying in Cyprus during the quarantine period were examined. The sample of the study included 262 students who were recruited using convenience sampling. A socio-demographic form, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-Short Form, Revised University of California Los Angeles Loneliness Scale and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support Scale were used for data collection. The results revealed that during the lockdown the students mostly worried about their health, their families’ health and their academic performance. International students who stayed in Cyprus during the lockdown had higher depression and lower perceived family support scores than the international students who travelled back to their home countries and were there during the lockdown. The result of hierarchical linear regression indicated that length of stay in Cyprus, perceived support of significant other and stress were predictors which explained 73% of variance in depression scores. Gender, monthly income and stress were significant predictors of anxiety which explained 63% of variance and grade, significant other support, depression and anxiety were predictors of stress which explained 78% of the variance. The current study result highlight that universities and states should consider social support and protective mental health programs for international students.

Keywords

Depression, Anxiety, Stress, Perceived Social Support, International University Students

References

• Alam, M. D, Lu, J., Ni, L., Hu, S., & Xu, Y. (2021). Psychological Outcomes and Associated Factors Among the International Students Living in China During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Front. Psychiatry, 12(707342).
• Al Omari, O., Al Sabei, S., Al Rawajfah, O., Sharour, L. A., Alihohani, K., Alomari, K... Alhalaiqa, F. (2020). The Prevalence and Predictors of Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Youth at the Time of COVID-19: An Online Cross-Sectional Multicountry Study. Depression Research and Treatment, 2020 (8887727), 1-9.
• Alsubaie, M. M., Stain, H. J., Webster, L. A. D., & Wadman, R. (2019). The role of sources of social support on depression and quality of life for university students. International Journal of Adolescence and Youth, 24(4), 484-496.
• Al-Qahtani, M. F., & Alsubaie, A. (2020). Investigating Stress and Sources of Stress Among Female Health Profession Students in a Saudi University. Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare, 13, 477–484.
• Alzahem, A. M., Van der Molen, H. T., & De Boer, B. J. (2013). Effect of year of study on stress levels in male undergraduate dental students. Advances in medical education and practice, 4, 217–222.
• Aucejo, E. M., French, J., Araya, M. P. U., & Zafar, B. (2020). The Impact of COVID-19 on Student Experiences and Expectations: Evidence from a Survey. Journal of Public Economics, 191(104271).
• Balanzá–Martínez, V., Atienza–Carbonell, B., Kapczinski, F., & De Boni, R. B. (2020). Lifestyle behaviours during the COVID‐19 – time to connect. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 141(5), 399-400.
• Baxter, A. J., Scott, K. M., Vos, T., & Whiteford, H. A. (2013). Global prevalence of anxiety disorders: a systematic review and meta-regression. Psychological Medicine, 43(05), 897–910.
• Bhocchibhoya, A., Dong, Y., & Branscum, P. (2017). Sources of Social Support Among International College Students in the United States. Journal of international students, 7(3).
• Browning, M., Larson, L. R., Sharaievska, I., Rigolon, A., McAnirlin, O., Mullenbach, L... Alvarez, H. O. (2021). Psychological impacts from COVID-19 among university students: Risk factors across seven states in the United States. PloS one, 16(1).
• Bulut, N. S., Yorguner, N., Akvardar, Y. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on the life of higher- education students in İstanbul: relationship between social support, health-risk behaviors and mental/ academic well-being. Alpha Psychiatry, 22(6):291-300.
• Chang, E. C., Chang, O. D., Martos, T., Sallay, V., Lee, J., Stam, K. R... Yu, T. (2017). Family Support as a Moderator of the Relationship Between Loneliness and Suicide Risk in College Students: Having a Supportive Family Matters! The Family Journal, 25(3), 257–263.
• Chen, J. H., Li, Y., Wu, A. M. S., & Tong, K. K. (2020). The overlooked minority: Mental health of International students worldwide under the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. Asian Journal of Psychiatry, 54(102333).
• Chirikov, I. & Soria, K. (2020). International Students’ Experiences and Concerns During the Pandemic. SERU Consortium, University of California-Berkeley and University of Minnesota.
• Cao, W., Fang, Z., Hou, G., Han, M., Xu, X., Dong, J., & Zheng, J. (2020). The psychological impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on college students in China. Psychiatry Research, 287(112934).
• Dadaczynski, K., Okan, O., Messer, M., Rathmann, K. (2022). University students' sense of coherence, future worries and mental health: findings from the German COVID-HL-survey. Health Promotion International, 37(1).
• Diehl, K., Jansen, C., Ishchanova, K., & Hilger-Kolb, J. (2018). Loneliness at Universities: Determinants of Emotional and Social Loneliness among Students. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(9).
• Firang, D. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on international students in Canada. International Social Work, 63(6), 820-824.
• Gariépy, G., Honkaniemi, H., & Quesnel-Vallée, A. (2016). Social support and protection from depression: systematic review of current findings in Western countries. British Journal of Psychiatry: the journal of mental science, 209(04), 284–293.
• Griffiths, K.M., Crisp, D.A., Barney, L., & Reid, R. (2011). Seeking help for depression from family and friends: A qualitative analysis of perceived advantages and disadvantages. BMC Psychiatry 11(196).
• Gutterer, J. (2020). The impact of COVID-19 on international students perceptions. Study Portals. https://studyportals.com/intelligence/the-impact-of-covid-19-on-international-students-perceptions/
• Hefner, J., & Eisenberg, D. (2009). Social support and mental health among college students. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 79(4), 491–499.
• Ioannou, M., Kassianos, A. P., & Symeou, M. (2019). Coping with Depressive Symptoms in Young Adults: Perceived Social Support Protects Against Depressive Symptoms Only Under Moderate Levels of Stress. Frontiers in Psychology, 9(2780).
• Islam, A., Barna, S. D., Raihan, H., Khan, N. A., & Hossain, T. (2020). Depression and anxiety among university students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh: A web-based cross-sectional survey. Plos One, 15(8).
• Kader Maideen, S. F., Mohd Sidik, S., Rampal, L., & Mukhtarm, F. (2015). Prevalence, associated factors and predictors of anxiety: a community survey in Selangor, Malaysia. BMC Psychiatry, 15(262).
• Lee, J., Jeong, H. J., & Kim, S. (2021). Stress, Anxiety, and Depression Among Undergraduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic and their Use of Mental Health Services. Innovative Higher Education, 1-20.
• Lee, S. K., Kim, H., & Piercy, C. W. (2016). The role of status differentials and homophily in the formation of social support networks of a voluntary organization. Communication Research, 46(2), 208–235.
• Liu. C., Huang, N., Fu, M., Zhang, H., Feng, X. L., & Guo, J. (2021). Relationship Between Risk Perception, Social Support, and Mental Health Among General Chinese Population During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Risk Management Healthcare Policy, 14:1843-1853.
• Lovibond, S. H., & Lovibond, P. F. (1995). Manual for the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (2nd ed.). Psychology Foundation.
• Martin, J., & Hartley, S. (2017). Lonely, Stressed, and Depressed: The Impact of Isolation on U.S. Veterans. Military Behavioral Health, 5, 384-392.
• McLean, C. P., Asnaani, A., Litz, B. T., & Hofmann, S. G. (2011). Gender differences in anxiety disorders: Prevalence, course of illness, comorbidity and burden of illness. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 45(8), 1027–1035.
• Mehus, C. J., Lyden, G. R., Bonar, E. E., Gunlicks-Stoessel, M., Morrell, N., Parks, M. J... Patrick, M. E. (2021). Association between COVID-19-related loneliness or worry and symptoms of anxiety and depression among first-year college students. Journal of American college health, 1–6. Advance online publication.
• Negash, S., Kartschmit, N., Mikolajczyk, R. T., Watzke, S., Matos Fialho, P. M., Pischke, C.R... Schmidt-Pokrzywniak, A. (2021). Worsened Financial Situation During the COVID-19 Pandemic Was Associated with Depressive Symptomatology Among University Students in Germany: Results of the COVID-19 International Student Well-Being Study. Frontier in Psychiatry, 12(743158).
• Nguyen, H., Le, T., & Meirmanov, S. (2019). Depression, Acculturative Stress, and Social Connectedness among International University Students in Japan: A Statistical Investigation. Sustainability, 11(3).
• Ochnik, D., Rogowska, A. M., Kuśnierz, C., Jakubiak, M., Schutz, A., Held, M. J... Cuero-Acosta, Y. A. (2021). Mental health prevalence and predictors among university students in nine countries during the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-national study. Scientific Reports, 11(18644).
• OECD (2021, April 13). The state of higher education: One year in to the COVID-19 pandemic. OECD Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1787/83c41957-en.
• Panteli, M., Vaiouli, P., Leonidou, C., & Paanayiotou, G. (2021). Perceived Stress of Cypriot College Students During COVID-19: The Predictive Role of Social Skills and Social Support. European Journal of Psychology Open, 80(1-2), 31-39.
• Reeve, K.L., Shumaker, C. J., Yearwood, E.L., Crowell, N. A., & Riley, J. B. (2013). Perceived stress and social support in undergraduate nursing students' educational experiences. Nurse Education Today, 33(4), 419-24.
• Ridley, M., Rao, G., Schilbach, F., & Patel, V. (2020). Poverty, depression, and anxiety: Causal evidence and mechanisms. Science, 370(6522).
• Russell, D., Peplau, L. A., & Cutrona, C. E. (1980). The Revised Ucla Loneliness Scale –Concurrent and Discriminant Validity Evidence. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39, 472–480.
• Solomou, I., Constantinidou, F., Karekla, M., Psaltis, C., & Chatzittofis, A. (2021). The COVID-19 international student well-being study (C-19 ISWS): The case of Cyprus. European Journal of Psychology Open, 80(3), 99-110.
• Stark, E. (2019). Examining the role of motivation and learning strategies in student success in online versus face-to-face courses. Online Learning, 23(3), 234-251.
• Tang, W., Hu, T., Hu, B., Jin, C., Wang, G., Xie, C... Xu, J. (2020). Prevalence and correlates of PTSD and depressive symptoms one month after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic in a sample of home-quarantined Chinese university students. Journal of Affective Disorders, 274, 1-7.
• Van der Werf, E. T., Busch, M., Jong, M. C., & Hoenders, H. J. R. (2021). Lifestyle changes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: a cross-sectional survey in the Netherlands. BMC Public Health, 21(1).
• Wang, X., Cai, L., Qian, J. & Peng, J. (2014). Social support moderates stress effects on depression. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 8(41).
• WHO. (2022, March 2). COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19- pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide
• Wu, T., Jia, X., Shi, H., Niu, J., Yin, X., Xie, J., & Wang, X. (2021). Prevalence of mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorder, 281, 91-98.
• YOBIS, (2020, September 11). 2018 – 2019 ve 2019 – 2020 Akademik Yılları Toplam Öğrenci Sayılarının Uyruklara Göre Dağılım Tabloları. http://yobis.mebnet.net/download/41092627-ef35-4100-9517-083f32f5a885
• Yuan, L. L., Lu, L., Wang, X. H., Guo, X. X., Ren, H., Gao, Y. Q., & Pan, B. C. (2021). Prevalence and Predictors of Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms Among International Medical Students in China During COVID-19 Pandemic. Frontiers in psychiatry, 12(761964).
• Zhai, Y., & Du, X. (2020). Mental health care for international Chinese students affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. The Lancet Psychiatry, 7(4), Article e22. doi:10.1016/s2215-0366(20)30.
• Zimet, G. D., Dahlem, N. W., Zimet, S. G., & Farley, G. K. (1988). The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. Journal of Personality Assessment, 52(1), 30-41.
• Zivin, K., Eisenberg, D., Gollust, S. E., & Golberstein, E. (2009). Persistence of mental health problems and needs in a college student population. Journal of Affective Disorders, 117(3), 180–185.