ArticleJMIR formative research2020
Investigating the Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on the Psychological Health of University Students and Their Attitudes Toward Mobile Mental Health Solutions: Two-Part Questionnaire Study.
Article in JMIR formative research, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 47 citations in OpenAlex.
- Impact of COVID-19 on School Populations and Associated Factors: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Pooled it
- Effect of cognitive behavioral therapy program on mental health status among medical student in Palestine during COVID pandemic.BMC psychiatry · 2022Trial
- Article
- Undergraduate students' mental health in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic: a scoping review.Revista brasileira de enfermagem · 2025Article
- Investigating Individuals' Preferences in Determining the Functions of Smartphone Apps for Fighting Pandemics: Best-Worst Scaling Survey Study.Journal of medical Internet research · 2023Article
- A Biofeedback-Based Mobile App With Serious Games for Young Adults With Anxiety in the United Arab Emirates: Development and Usability Study.JMIR serious games · 2022Article
- Egyptian Students Open to Digital Mental Health Care: Cross-Sectional Survey.JMIR formative research · 2022Article
- Mental health status among prison officers in the process of enforcing the law during COVID-19epidemic: a cross-sectional survey from China.BMC psychiatry · 2022Article
- Article
- The Protective Effect of Health Literacy on Reducing College Students' Stress and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2022Article
- Mental Health and the Perceived Usability of Digital Mental Health Tools Among Essential Workers and People Unemployed Due to COVID-19: Cross-sectional Survey Study.JMIR mental health · 2021Article
- Demographics, Socioeconomic Status, Social Distancing, Psychosocial Factors and Psychological Well-Being among Undergraduate Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Monitoring beliefs and physiological measures in students at risk for COVID-19 using wearable sensors and smartphone technology: Protocol for a mobile health study.JMIR research protocols · 2021Article
- Impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of university students in Spain and their attitudes toward Mobile mental health solutions.International journal of medical informatics · 2021Article
- Article
- The Role of Resilience and Gender in Relation to Infectious-Disease-Specific Health Literacy and Anxiety During the COVID-19 Pandemic.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2020Article
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 outbreak was first reported to the World Health Organization on December 31, 2019, and it was officially declared a public health emergency of international concern on January 30, 2020. The COVID-19 outbreak and the safety measures taken to control it caused many psychological issues in populations worldwide, such as depression, anxiety, and stress.
objectiveThe objectives of this study were to assess the psychological effects of the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to investigate the students' awareness of mobile mental health care apps as well as their attitudes toward the use of these apps.
methodsA two-part self-administered web-based questionnaire was delivered to students at United Arab Emirates University. The first part of the questionnaire assessed the mental state of the participants using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), while the second part contained questions investigating the participants' awareness of and attitudes toward mental health care apps. Students were invited to fill out the web-based questionnaire via social media and mailing lists.
resultsA total of 154 students participated in the survey, and the majority were female. The results of the GHQ-12 analysis showed that the students were experiencing psychological issues related to depression and anxiety as well as social dysfunction. The results also revealed a lack of awareness of mental health care apps and uncertainty regarding the use of such apps. Approximately one-third of the participants (44/154, 28.6%) suggested preferred functionalities and characteristics of mobile mental health care apps, such as affordable price, simple design, ease of use, web-based therapy, communication with others experiencing the same issues, and tracking of mental status.
conclusionsLike many groups of people worldwide, university students in the UAE were psychologically affected by the lockdown due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Although apps can be useful tools for mental health care delivery, especially in circumstances such as those produced by the outbreak, the students in this study showed a lack of awareness of these apps and mixed attitudes toward them. Improving the digital health literacy of university students in the UAE by increasing their awareness of mental health care apps and the treatment methods and benefits of the apps, as well as involving students in the app creation process, may encourage students to use these tools for mental health care.
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