ArticlePloS one2023
How are Brazilian university students coping with the COVID-19 pandemic? Results of an online survey on psychosocial well-being, perceived burdens, and attitudes toward social distancing and vaccination.
Article in PloS one, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of an Online Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Improving Mental Health in Undergraduate Students: A Randomized Clinical Trial.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Trial
- Associations between body image changes and modifiable behavioral variables among university students in the context of COVID-19 pandemic.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Psychological resilience and emergency coping behavior among university freshmen: the mediating role of social support.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Transdiagnostic processes in university mental health: the role of psychological inflexibility, impulsivity and stress in depression and life satisfaction using structural equation modeling.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Mental health and help-seeking behavior among at-risk university students in Germany: A descriptive analysis.PLOS mental health · 2026Article
- Efficiency of Artificial Intelligence in Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of Medical Imaging.Cureus · 2025Review
- Article
- Validity of the Kessler Psychological Distress scale in Brazilian higher education students.Revista latino-americana de enfermagem · 2024Article
- Acceptability and Feasibility of Online Support Groups for Mental Health Promotion in Brazilian Graduate Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Longitudinal Observational Study.JMIR formative research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused significant disruption to education systems worldwide, increasing pre-existing concerns regarding university students' mental health. Brazil was among the countries most affected by COVID-19 cases and deaths and was considered a pandemic epicenter. This study aimed to investigate Brazilian university students' mental health status and perceived burdens during the COVID-19 pandemic. MATERIAL AND
methodsFrom November 2021 to March 2022, a cross-sectional and anonymous online survey was conducted among students of a Brazilian federal university. Mental health status (depressive symptoms, alcohol and drug consumption) and social and emotional aspects in the pandemic context (social support, perceived stress, loneliness, resilience, and self-efficacy) were assessed with standardized measures. Students' attitudes toward the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination and perceived burdens of the pandemic were also investigated.
resultsA total of N = 2,437 students completed the online survey. The PHQ-9 mean sum score was 12.85 (SD = 7.40), while n = 1,488 (61.10%) participants reported a sum score of 10 or more, indicating clinically relevant depressive symptoms. Further, n = 808 (33.1%) of the total sample reported suicidal thoughts. Levels of depressive symptoms, perceived stress, and loneliness were higher among undergraduate/bachelor students than doctoral students. Almost all participants (97.3%) reported being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Multiple regression analyses showed that being single, having an income decreased during the pandemic, having a previous mental illness, having a chronic somatic condition, not finding positive aspects in the pandemic, lower self-efficacy, lower social support, lower resilience, and higher experienced loneliness were significantly associated with higher levels of depression.
conclusionsThe study showed high levels of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation among Federal University of Parana students. Therefore, health care providers and universities need to recognize and address mental health issues; psychosocial policies must be enhanced to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on students' mental health and wellbeing.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.