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Understanding the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Well-Being Among University Students in Dhaka, Bangladesh

39 Pages Posted: 10 Aug 2022 Publication Status: Accepted

See all articles by Sameen Nasar

Sameen Nasar

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health

Rituja Shome

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health

Selima Kabir

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health

Shamini Gnani

Imperial College London

Mala Rao

Imperial College London

Sabina Faiz Rashid

BRAC University

Abstract

Background: University students are more at risk of mental illness compared with the general population. Declaration of a global COVID-19 pandemic led the Bangladesh government in March 2020 to implement a national lockdown, home quarantining, social distancing measures, and closure of educational institutions. We aimed to explore the impact of lockdown on the mental health and well-being of university students in Bangladesh.

Methods: A nested mixed methods survey design was undertaken using a semi structured questionnaire and in-depth interview conducted by telephone of 73 university students (mean age of 22 years, range 18 to 26-years-old) attending public and private academic institutions in Dhaka. A questionnaire was developed de-novo and pre-tested. Qualitative, open ended questions were used to understand experiences regarding students’ mental health and well-being, their perceptions of COVID–19, and coping strategies.

Results: Fifty nine percent of students reported that lockdown had a significant impact on their mental health and well-being. They described difficulties with social isolation and loneliness, motivation, and interpersonal conflict within families. Students’ knowledge of COVID-19 were high with television, newspapers, online, and social media were main sources of information; few relied on government reports. Most pressing concerns were timely graduation and employment (83%), not being able to socialize (46%), being stuck at home (37%), and financial difficulties regarding university fees (29%). Additional underlying stressors included financial insecurity of respondents’ households and parental health. Coping strategies included watching television or films, online meetings with friends, social media, as well interactions with family.

Conclusion: As a result of Bangladesh’s first national lockdown, university students experienced negative effects on their mental health and well-being. There is an urgent need for greater proactive measures within educational settings, such as mental health literacy programmes and diagnosis management that could mitigate and prevent adverse impacts of future lockdowns.

Funding Information: This project is funded supported by the United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI) Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF) (Grant Reference Number WPPA-G24119).

Declaration of Interests: Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University [IRB-2 June’20-028]. Verbal consent was taken before each telephone interview; the informed consent statement was read out stating the objectives of the study, and the confidentiality and anonymity of their personal information.

Ethics Approval Statement: Ethics approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University [IRB-2 June’20-028]. Verbal consent was taken before each telephone interview; the informed consent statement was read out stating the objectives of the study, and the confidentiality and anonymity of their personal information.

Keywords: University Students, Mental Health, COVID-19, Well-being, Behaviour, Lockdown, Bangladesh

Suggested Citation

Nasar, Sameen and Shome, Rituja and Kabir, Selima and Gnani, Shamini and Rao, Mala and Rashid, Sabina Faiz, Understanding the Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Mental Health and Well-Being Among University Students in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4186463 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4186463

Sameen Nasar (Contact Author)

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health ( email )

Rituja Shome

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health ( email )

Selima Kabir

BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health

Shamini Gnani

Imperial College London ( email )

South Kensington Campus
Exhibition Road
London, SW7 2AZ
United Kingdom

Mala Rao

Imperial College London ( email )

South Kensington Campus
Exhibition Road
London, SW7 2AZ
United Kingdom

Sabina Faiz Rashid

BRAC University ( email )

66 Mohakhali C/A
Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh
Dhaka, 1212
Bangladesh

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