Online University Counselling Services and Psychological Problems among Italian Students in Lockdown Due to Covid-19

Introduction: With the advent of Covid-19, Italian university students were overwhelmed by fear of the pandemic and the social restrictions of the lockdown phase, with all didactic activity provided online. These stress factors caused people to experience psychological problems and/or the aggravation of pre-existing mental symptomatology. Psychological support is, therefore, important for the university-student population. Aims: (1) Analyzing the psychological difficulties and mental problems relative to lockdown from Covid-19 of students who asked for help from the Center of Psychological Counseling of the University of Salerno. (2) Describing the online services of the university's psychological counseling treatment. Participants: 266 university students, but only 49 were undergoing psychological treatment during the Covid-19 lockdown at the center. Methods: (1) Semistructured interview; (2) Questionnaire consisting of sociodemographic information and ad hoc questions; and (3) Scl-90-r test. Results and Conclusions: Aim 1: The main results highlight high levels of anxiety and stress, concentration disorders, and psychosomatization. In several cases, there was a reactivation of previous traumas and sleep was found qualitatively compromised. Aim 2: Counseling services included telephone listening activities, online psychological interviews, psychoeducational groups for interventions of anxiety management, and workshops on study methods conducted in small groups. The online counseling intervention, in times of emergency, increased the resilience and identified any psychological problems in order to implement timely management.