COVID-19 Related Stress During the Pandemic Among University Students

Aim: Certain groups in society, such as students, were exposed to higher levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and thus fell into vulnerable groups when it comes to mental health. This research aimed to investigate the presence and expression of stress symptoms related to the COVID-19 pandemic in university students and to what extent stress had an impact on a broad aspect of the everyday life of students. Subjects and methods: This observational cross-sectional study included data collected from January 2021 to May 2021 at the Catholic University of Croatia. Given that the research was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, the respondents (223) participated via an online survey in accordance with the social distancing guidelines that were implemented in the Republic of Croatia during that time period. For research purposes we used the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) instrument. Results: The results showed that with the respondents of this study, the feeling of danger was the most pronounced, followed by the fear of contamination. The highest possible score for any measured symptom is 24, and none of the symptoms had a mean higher than 11 so it can be said that the symptoms were not expressed to a large extent. Conclusion: Although the symptoms of stress were not significantly expressed in this study, it is necessary to provide adequate consideration to all risk groups and provide help in protecting mental health to all who need it, especially in crises such as a pandemic.