The COVID-19 generation : the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students in Portugal
The COVID-19 generation : the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on higher education students in Portugal
Date
2021
Authors
Reis, Rita : Diniz
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Abstract
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal, students from every
level of education have had a difficult time managing their academic life, which was ruled
by uncertainty and instability these past two years. These mindsets are often more
evident in higher education students who, due to the nature of their circumstances of
transition to the job market and higher levels of pressure to attain certain educational
objectives, are more prone to the development of psychological disorders. These two
years dominated by the exceptional experience of distance learning brought with them
unprecedented consequences on the mental health of higher education students. This
thesis aims to understand the challenges posed by this new learning method, and to what
extent these students’ rights to education and mental health were affected and
protected during this period of global pandemic.
To be able to proceed with this assessment with a privileged understanding from the key
stakeholders’ point of view, an interview to a mental health professional working in a
support center of a Portuguese faculty was conducted, and a survey was shared in social
media networks accessed by higher education students, aiming to understand the
conditions under which they studied during the pandemic, as well as the consequences
on their psychological condition. The results revealed that, in spite of allowing students
to fulfill their right to education, the distance learning method had severe consequences
on their mental health during this period, aggravating feelings of anxiety, depression,
isolation, among others. What is striking about this issue is the lack of action from the
Government to counter these consequences, which will have a massive societal impact
in the years to come, as this will probably be identified as the COVID-19 Generation. Due to the future impact that this phenomenon might have both on the social and economic
levels, the Portuguese Government as well as public and private universities should
consider investing more in health literacy and other methods to improve the accessibility
to mental health support services.
Keywords: mental health, students, higher education.
Description
Second semester University: University College Dublin - National University of Ireland
Keywords
mental health,
students,
education,
Portugal,
COVID-19 pandemic,
right to education,
psychological aspects