ArticleBMC public health2021
Impacts of COVID-19 and social isolation on academic staff and students at universities: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC public health, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 274 citations in OpenAlex.
- A systematic review of predictors of college students' subjective well-being: evidence from pre- and post-pandemic literature.Frontiers in public health · 2026Pooled it
- Belongingness and loneliness in higher education: a meta-analysis of pre- and post-pandemic trends.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Pooled it
- Lessons learned from lockdown: how the COVID-19 pandemic revealed intersecting inequalities of mental health, well-being, and learning for first-year UK university students.International journal of qualitative studies on health and well-being · 2026Article
- Eating Together, Eating Alone: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Associations Between Social Eating Contexts, Mealtime Emotions, Technology Use, and Loneliness in UK University Students.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- The sources of suicidal ambivalence: favorable and risk factors for suicidal ideation among higher vocational college freshmen-a large sample survey.BMC psychiatry · 2026Article
- Not all heroes wear capes: a photovoice exploration of youth experiences during and beyond COVID-19.BMC public health · 2026Article
- Return to the unknown normal: transition of team-based learning from a COVID-19 enforced online version to an on-site version.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study on Italian and American University Students' Psychological Symptoms and the Predicting Role of Personality Traits.European journal of investigation in health, psychology and education · 2025Article
- Evaluation of a hybrid model of a Physician Associate Studies programme: students, teachers, and examiner perspectives.Irish journal of medical science · 2025Article
- Assessing the psychological distress and coping strategies among academic staff of a university during COVID-19.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2025Article
- Predictors of COVID-19 vaccination intention among students in Ghana: An application of the Health Belief Model and Theory of Planned Behaviour.PLOS global public health · 2025Article
- Article
- Care, career and health in times of digitalization-insights into the experiences of caring scientists.Frontiers in sociology · 2025Article
- Mental health and coping among graduate students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a gender-based analysis.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2025Article
- Nursing students in isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic: A phenomenological study.Health SA = SA Gesondheid · 2025Article
- Student well-being: the impact of belonging, COVID-19 pandemic related student stress, loneliness, and academic anxiety.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Anxiety and Depression Disorders in Undergraduate Medical Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Integrative Literature Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2024Review
- Latent Profile Analysis of Acute Stress Disorder Symptoms and Their Links to Individual Characteristics and Mental Health Among College Students During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- The long COVID and its mental health manifestations - the review of literature.International journal of occupational medicine and environmental health · 2024Review
- Prevalence of Anxiety and Depression Symptoms among University Teachers in Ethiopia during the COVID-19 Pandemic.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 8 institutions in 6 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
background"The impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the shutdown it triggered at universities across the world, led to a great degree of social isolation among university staff and students. The aim of this study was to identify the perceived consequences of this on staff and their work and on students and their studies at universities.
methodThe study used a variety of methods, which involved an on-line survey on the influences of social isolation using a non-probability sampling. More specifically, two techniques were used, namely a convenience sampling (i.e. involving members of the academic community, which are easy to reach by the study team), supported by a snow ball sampling (recruiting respondents among acquaintances of the participants). A total of 711 questionnaires from 41 countries were received. Descriptive statistics were deployed to analyse trends and to identify socio-demographic differences. Inferential statistics were used to assess significant differences among the geographical regions, work areas and other socio-demographic factors related to impacts of social isolation of university staff and students.
resultsThe study reveals that 90% of the respondents have been affected by the shutdown and unable to perform normal work or studies at their institution for between 1 week to 2 months. While 70% of the respondents perceive negative impacts of COVID 19 on their work or studies, more than 60% of them value the additional time that they have had indoors with families and others. .
conclusionsWhile the majority of the respondents agree that they suffered from the lack of social interaction and communication during the social distancing/isolation, there were significant differences in the reactions to the lockdowns between academic staff and students. There are also differences in the degree of influence of some of the problems, when compared across geographical regions. In addition to policy actions that may be deployed, further research on innovative methods of teaching and communication with students is needed in order to allow staff and students to better cope with social isolation in cases of new or recurring pandemics.
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Registered trials
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