Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2021 Sep 15;18(18):9699.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18189699.

Psychological Vulnerability of French University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Survey

Elodie Charbonnier  1 , Sarah Le Vigouroux  1 , Aurelie Goncalves  1
Affiliations

Psychological Vulnerability of French University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Four-Wave Longitudinal Survey

Elodie Charbonnier et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Many studies have highlighted the negative mental health consequences of lockdowns. However, to date, we do not know how these consequences change over time. The first objective of the present study was to track changes in adjustment strategies and clinical issues among French university students at different times of the pandemic. The second objective was to investigate the psychological and situational factors contributing to students' anxiety and depressive symptoms.

Method: This cohort study was conducted between 23 April and 11 December 2020. Measurements were performed four times: during France's first national lockdown, during the period after lockdown, when universities were open, and finally during the second national lockdown. A total of 1294 university students were initially included, and 91 students completed the four measurement points over a 7-month period. Coping strategies (with the Brief-COPE), health concerns (with two questions), anxiety and depressive symptoms (with the HADS) were measured.

Results: Results showed an evolution over time of anxiety (χ2 = 21.59 ***) and depressive (χ2 = 29.73 ***) symptoms. Depressive symptoms are significantly higher during lockdown periods compared to unlockdown periods. Anxiety symptoms are likewise particularly high during the two lockdowns, but also when the universities reopen. At different times, anxiety and depressive symptoms were positively associated with maladaptive strategies, such as the self-blame (rho between 0.33 and 0.51) and negatively with adaptive strategies, such as the positive reframing (rho between -0.23 and -0.44).

Conclusions: The trajectory of anxiety, which is elevated even in the absence of lockdown, raises concerns about the long-term effects of the pandemic on these symptoms.

Keywords: COVID; anxiety; coping; depression; lockdowns; university.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

References

    1. Cucinotta D., Vanelli M. WHO Declares COVID-19 a Pandemic. Acta Bio Med. Atenei Parm. 2020;91:157–160. doi: 10.23750/ABM.V91I1.9397. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Legifrance Décret n° 2020-260 du 16 Mars 2020 Portant Réglementation des Déplacements Dans le Cadre de la Lutte Contre la Propagation du Virus Covid-19. [(accessed on 20 August 2021)]; Available online: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/loda/id/JORFTEXT000041728476/
    1. Legifrance Décret n° 2020-1310 du 29 Octobre 2020 Prescrivant les Mesures Générales Nécessaires Pour Faire Face à l’Épidémie de Covid-19 Dans le Cadre de l’État d’Urgence Sanitaire. [(accessed on 20 August 2021)]; Available online: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000042475143.
    1. Legifrance Décret n° 2020-1582 du 14 Décembre 2020 Modifiant les Décrets n° 2020-1262 du 16 Octobre 2020 et n° 2020-1310 du 29 Octobre 2020 Prescrivant les Mesures Générales Nécessaires Pour Faire Face à l’Épidémie de Covid-19 dans le Cadre de l’État d’Urgence Sanitaire. [(accessed on 20 August 2021)]; Available online: https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000042665612.
    1. Ministère Français de lʼEnseignement Supérieur de la Recherche et de lʼInnovation Circulaire du 22 Janvier 2021 Portant sur l’Actualisation des Consignes Concernant la Reprise Progressive des Enseignements dans les Établissements de l’Enseignement Supérieur à Partir du 25 Janvier. [(accessed on 20 August 2021)]; Available online: https://services.dgesip.fr/fichiers/CirculaireRepriseEnseignements-22jan....