Return to classes: how did COVID-19 affect the academic performance of Peruvian university students?

Like millions of schoolchildren who have already returned to the classroom, university students are also preparing to return to face-to-face classes after more than two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COVID-19.

In this period, many of the university students have had a relative with COVID-19 or, even, they themselves have developed the disease. This situation has affected his mental health, which, in addition,

It is estimated that there are more than one million university students in the country, according to the National Superintendence of Higher University Education (Sunedu).

A new study carried out by Peruvian researchers analyzes the effects of covid on the performance of university students studying health sciences.

The research, published in the Internal Journal Frontiers, revealed that anxiety about COVID-19, lack of a sense of well-being, and depression

These psychological factors are recorded especially in those who had a family member with COVID-19.

The results obtained in this study are similar to those carried out in other countries. Previous research showed that covid-associated thoughts generated greater stress and anxiety in students compared to the general university population.

The authors hope that “relationships between mental health variables in health sciences students be further examined to

In this regard, Dr. José Ventura-León, main author of the study and research professor at the Universidad Privada del Norte (UPN), answers about the scope of the research and what could be done to provide support to students.

How did you arrive at the main conclusion of the study?

This was by collecting data from 802 university students. Their answers were analyzed following a network analysis methodology, a statistical technique that allowed detecting the relationship between the variables under study.

—Could the effects on the academic performance of university students be lasting in students with relatives who had covid?

This will depend on various factors such as personality, family history, cultural context. However, given the way in which the pandemic affected health sciences students and family losses or deaths in some cases, depression, anxiety and well-being behaviors could have a greater impact on academic performance and in some they turn into an academic interference. However, further studies are required to conclude this.

—What could be done to support students who have depression or stress caused by the COVID-19 situation in their homes?

The implementation of psychological orientation programs by the psychological departments of the universities, as well as providing information to students, teaching them to ask for professional help, mental health awareness campaigns, referral to a psychotherapeutic center in more extreme cases and, above all, everything, a plan from the universities to address these mental health problems.